Man Utd want Marcus Rashford to bulk up to avoid further injuries

Manchester United have told Marcus Rashford to increase his upper body muscle mass to help deal with the physical demands of Premier League football.

The effects of only missing a handful of games since bursting onto the scene during the 2015/16 season has finally caught up with the 23-year-old in recent times.

He spent time out with a double back fracture last year and in the summer also chose to undergo surgery for a troublesome shoulder problem, after representing England at Euro 2020.

He has been recovering from this ever since, but he should make his long-awaited return when his side travel to Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

According to the Daily Mail, United are keen for Rashford to get on the weights and increase his upper body mass.

During his recovery period, Rashford added 4kg of muscle to his lower body. However, due to his shoulder issue limiting the amount of training he could do on his upper body, this increase in mass has not been mirrored above the waistline.

United will be hopeful that by bulking up, Rashford becomes more robust, as losing him for a similar amount of time as they have this season would be a big blow.

Although he will be available for selection against the Foxes it is unlikely that he will be handed a start. Not only is he only just back from injury, United also have an abundance of attacking options competing for places.

As well as Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani, summer arrivals Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo will all need to be accommodated this season.

Regardless of how they line up, the Leicester game is a big one for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. They have won just one of their last four games in all competitions and need to maintain touching distance with the early pace-setters.