Euro 2016: Marcus Rashford to join England's pre-tournament preparations

Youngster who has burst on to the scene this season has impressed manager Roy Hodgson

Marcus Rashford has impressed Roy Hodgson (Getty)

Marcus Rashford is under consideration to be involved in England’s Euro 2016 preparations, with the Manchester United youngster potentially being handed the chance to make his senior debut in the forthcoming pre-tournament friendlies against Australia and Portugal.

Rashford, 18, has scored seven goals in 16 appearances for United having scored twice on his first outing for Louis van Gaal’s team during the 5-1 Europa League victory over FC Midtjylland in February. And with England manager Roy Hodgson being impressed by the teenager’s performances during the past three months, Rashford is now expected to be drafted into the full squad to be given the experience of training with the senior players ahead of Euro 2016.

Hodgson and his England assistants, Ray Lewington and Gary Neville, discussed Rashford’s credentials during a meeting on Tuesday to assess candidates for the 23-man squad for France. And while Hodgson has previously suggested that the Manchester-born striker is behind more experienced players in terms of being named in his Euro 2016 squad, the confirmation that Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck will miss the tournament after being ruled out for nine months following knee surgery earlier this week has left Hodgson with a gap to fill in his attacking options.

Newcastle United’s Andros Townsend is understood to be ahead of Theo Walcott and Jesse Lingard in Hodgson’s thoughts, but Rashford’s anticipated elevation to the squad emphasises Hodgson’s belief that the youngster has a bright future at international level.

The Everton defender John Stones and Liverpool full-back Jon Flanagan both travelled to Miami with the senior squad ahead of the 2014 World Cup in order to train Hodgson’s established players and a similar opportunity is set to be offered to Rashford.

While the teenager will remain with United next week in order to prepare for next Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, and therefore miss next Sunday’s England friendly against Turkey at the Etihad Stadium, Hodgson is planning to assess Rashford in training ahead of the Australia game at Sunderland on May 27 and the Wembley friendly against Portugal on June 2.

Hodgson is due to name his 23-man Euro 2016 squad at Wembley on Monday, but he has until May 31 to formally submit his final squad to Uefa.