Bruno Fernandes confident goals will come for Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford
Bruno Fernandes insists Marcus Rashford is doing an "amazing job" for Manchester United, despite failing to score from open play since the Premier League resumed last month.
Rashford, who missed 13 games with a back injury, has scored once - from the penalty spot against Bournemouth - and added two assists in six appearances.
The England international has been overshadowed during that period by Fernandes (five goals, three assists), teenage sensation Mason Greenwood (four goals, one assist) and French striker Anthony Martial (four goals, three assists).
But Fernandes says Rashford's impact for United goes far beyond the stats and is confident the goals will soon come for the 22-year-old.
"Like you saw [Thursday], Mason [Greenwood] scored a beautiful goal again and Anthony [Martial] and Marcus did very well," Fernandes told the club's official website.
"I think everyone is talking about Marcus not scoring a lot of goals but he is doing an amazing job.
"The game he is playing now, maybe he is not achieving his goals and everything but, with everything we are doing now, he will achieve more goals and more assists.
"In the games, in the complete football, because football is not just about goals and assists, it is about the team and Marcus is playing very well for the team.
"Anthony is playing very well and scoring goals, which is what you want as a striker, and Mason is a young kid who is scoring every time in different ways, so you always need to expect something new from him.
"I hope Marcus can find more goals because he deserves it for the work he is doing for the team, and nobody sees it because everyone sees the goals and who scores and assists. The work he is doing for the team is amazing.
"Marcus was injured for a long time so it's difficult to find that confidence again, to do things like shoot from far out. But he is doing an amazing job for the group and I think he deserves credit for this."
Fernandes has been an integral figure in United's strong recent form, which culminated in a 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Thursday night as they became the first team in Premier League history to win four successive games by a margin of three or more goals.
He was named Premier League player of the month for June - an award he also won for February - while also claiming goal of the month for his volleyed finish at the end of a swift counter-attack in United's 3-0 victory at Brighton on June 30.
The Portugal playmaker highlighted the contribution to that goal of Rashford, who sprinted from his own box to occupy a defender's attention and help leave Fernandes free at the back post, as an example of the type of unseen work Rashford does for the team.
"The play we did, the way we came to score, means it's one of the best goals from a team [perspective] that I've scored," Fernandes added.
"That's because of all the teamwork. We won the ball with the header from H [Harry Maguire], Nemanja [Matic] takes the ball and Mason did an amazing run but, at that moment, Rashy did a perfect run. He was one of the far [off] guys but comes so fast to the goal that defenders know if they give him space, he will score.
"So maybe he [the defender] closes him down being closer to the ball and, when the cross comes over, and it was a great ball by Mason, after that I just need to score the goal."
Rashford, who missed 13 games with a back injury, has scored once - from the penalty spot against Bournemouth - and added two assists in six appearances.
The England international has been overshadowed during that period by Fernandes (five goals, three assists), teenage sensation Mason Greenwood (four goals, one assist) and French striker Anthony Martial (four goals, three assists).
But Fernandes says Rashford's impact for United goes far beyond the stats and is confident the goals will soon come for the 22-year-old.
"Like you saw [Thursday], Mason [Greenwood] scored a beautiful goal again and Anthony [Martial] and Marcus did very well," Fernandes told the club's official website.
"I think everyone is talking about Marcus not scoring a lot of goals but he is doing an amazing job.
"The game he is playing now, maybe he is not achieving his goals and everything but, with everything we are doing now, he will achieve more goals and more assists.
"In the games, in the complete football, because football is not just about goals and assists, it is about the team and Marcus is playing very well for the team.
"Anthony is playing very well and scoring goals, which is what you want as a striker, and Mason is a young kid who is scoring every time in different ways, so you always need to expect something new from him.
"I hope Marcus can find more goals because he deserves it for the work he is doing for the team, and nobody sees it because everyone sees the goals and who scores and assists. The work he is doing for the team is amazing.
"Marcus was injured for a long time so it's difficult to find that confidence again, to do things like shoot from far out. But he is doing an amazing job for the group and I think he deserves credit for this."
Fernandes has been an integral figure in United's strong recent form, which culminated in a 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Thursday night as they became the first team in Premier League history to win four successive games by a margin of three or more goals.
He was named Premier League player of the month for June - an award he also won for February - while also claiming goal of the month for his volleyed finish at the end of a swift counter-attack in United's 3-0 victory at Brighton on June 30.
The Portugal playmaker highlighted the contribution to that goal of Rashford, who sprinted from his own box to occupy a defender's attention and help leave Fernandes free at the back post, as an example of the type of unseen work Rashford does for the team.
"The play we did, the way we came to score, means it's one of the best goals from a team [perspective] that I've scored," Fernandes added.
"That's because of all the teamwork. We won the ball with the header from H [Harry Maguire], Nemanja [Matic] takes the ball and Mason did an amazing run but, at that moment, Rashy did a perfect run. He was one of the far [off] guys but comes so fast to the goal that defenders know if they give him space, he will score.
"So maybe he [the defender] closes him down being closer to the ball and, when the cross comes over, and it was a great ball by Mason, after that I just need to score the goal."
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