Ten Hag explains strange reason for taking Rashford off early

Rashford put MU ahead in the 7th minute with a great solo run down the left wing and then unleashed a difficult shot that defeated goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Then, Rashford cleverly created a pass for Hojlund to double the gap from a tight angle. Overall, the English striker played the best for MU in the first 45 minutes.

However, entering the second half, many Red Devils fans were surprised to see Rashford not continue playing. Garnacho was brought in to replace him by coach Ten Hag.

After the match, the Dutch coach admitted that Marcus Rashford was not injured. He decided to withdraw the number 10 striker because MU had to compete with a tight schedule.

"We have to rotate players," Ten Hag told TNT Sports. "Garnacho is not a starter, but he has had many good games since the beginning of the season."

Statistics show that Rashford has never played more than 75 minutes in a match since the 0-3 defeat to Liverpool on September 1.

Without Rashford penetrating the left wing, MU struggled in the second half. They were lucky to get a 3-3 draw thanks to a last-minute brilliance from Harry Maguire.

The Dutch coach added: "We started very well, dominated, scored two early goals but then lost control.

The trip to Dragao was always difficult. MU found a last-minute equalizer when they were down a man. The team has strong personalities but the team needs to do better in the middle of the game.

Don't judge MU now. Judge us at the end of the season. The team is in the process and will gradually improve the way they play and the results."