Marcus rashford’s optimistic social media post signaling his fitness was tempered Sunday as a goal from former Manchester United winger Daniel James contributed too a 2-1 defeat for the England national team against Iceland in a kind match. Rashford, who recently declared himself “ready” to play following a muscle injury, was an unused substitute in the contest.
The defeat casts a slight shadow over Rashford’s return to fitness ahead of Manchester United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures. While the friendly was intended to provide valuable minutes for returning players, James’ 65th-minute goal for Iceland – alongside a Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson strike - denied England a victory and highlighted the continued threat posed by players familiar with the United setup. Rashford had posted on X (formerly twitter) before the match stating he was “feeling good and ready to go,” fueling expectations of potential playing time.
Iceland took the lead in the 12th minute through Thorsteinsson, before James doubled the advantage. England pulled one back through Cole Palmer in added time, but were unable to find an equalizer.Rashford’s absence from the pitch during the match raises questions about the extent of his recovery and manager Gareth Southgate’s assessment of his match readiness.
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