The fitness of Marcus Rashford (£7.2m) will ultimately determine how Fantasy Premier League managers invest in Manchester United for their pair of fixtures against AFC Bournemouth and Chelsea in Double Gameweek 37.
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The England star’s absence against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to injury last weekend has prompted 320,000+ transfers out, making him the most-sold player in the Gameweek.
However, Rashford returned to training on Wednesday, and his 38 per cent ownership are awaiting further news about his availability from head coach Erik ten Hag's press conference later in the week.
See: Rashford returns to training
Although Rashford’s recent form hasn’t been too prolific, with a goal and two assists in his last four matches, his total of 22 points is still a team-leading total.
Man Utd FPL points, last four appearances
| Player | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rashford | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Fernandes | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| De Gea | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Shaw | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Bruno Fernandes (£9.5m) is just one point behind thanks to a goal and an assist in his last four appearances.
Beyond those two, however, the Man Utd attackers have failed to impress.
The Red Devils have scored just three goals in their last four outings – the joint-worst record in the league – and Rashford and Fernandes are the only players to be involved in more than a single goal over their last four outings.
Instead, the two next-best performers for FPL points are David De Gea (£5.1m) and Luke Shaw (£5.2m), who have each been involved in a pair of clean sheets and collected 18 points, with the latter getting four bonus points.
However, the team statistics offer encouragement to those keen on investing in Ten Hag’s attack. They rank among the top three sides for shots, shots in the box and shots on target over the last four matches.
Man Utd attack, last four matches
| Total | PL rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 3 | =18 |
| Shots | 76 | 2 |
| Shots in box | 40 | 3 |
| Big chances | 9 | 8 |
| Shots on target | 24 | 3 |
United’s defensive numbers also impress, with a mere two goals conceded across their last four matches.
Although they sit around the mid-range mark for conceding shots and shots in the box, they have limited the number of high-quality scoring opportunities conceded.
They have allowed only four big chances over the last four matches, the second-best record, after Manchester City's three.
Man Utd defence, last four matches
| Total | PL rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals conceded | 2 | =1 |
| Big chances conceded | 4 | 2 |
| Shots conceded | 49 | 10 |
| Shots in box conceded | 34 | 11 |
| Shots on target conceded | 11 | 4 |
The player statistics show Rashford is a key player in Ten Hag’s attack, and that he can significantly increase their threat if he is fit to play.
His totals of 18 shots, 10 shots in the box, four big chances and eight shots on target are all more than any other Man Utd player over their last four matches.
Player stats, last four matches
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Shots on target | Key passes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashford | 18 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
| Fernandes | 14 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| Antony | 14 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| Eriksen | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Martial | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Sancho | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Depending on Rashford’s fitness, Fernandes can either be a strong double-up option alongside the England star or his go-to-replacement.
The Portuguese’s 17 chances created are at least eight more than any team-mate, while he also places joint-second alongside Antony (£7.3m) for shots, with 14 each.
Indeed, Antony’s all-round threat indicates he could be a strong differential, with an ownership of just 3.3 per cent.
His eight shots in the box and nine key passes both place second for United over their last four matches.
By contrast, his fellow winger Jadon Sancho (£7.1m) has recorded just a single shot in his last four outings.
At the other end of the pitch, the return of Raphael Varane (£4.8m) from injury last weekend lifts the appeal of his fellow defender Shaw.
Shaw had been deputising at centre-back in the Frenchman’s absence, but he switched back to his regular left-back role against Wolves on Saturday.
The England man amassed 20 points against his upcoming opponents AFC Bournemouth and Chelsea in this season's reverse fixtures, combining a goal and an assist with a clean sheet and four bonus points.
Also in this series
Part 1: FPL experts: Best players to target for Double Gameweek 37
Part 3: FPL experts: Should you sell Salah for Fernandes or De Bruyne?
Part 4: The Scout's best Chelsea picks for Double Gameweek 37
Part 5: The Scout's best Man City picks for Double Gameweek 37
Part 6: FPL experts: Who to target for Man City's Double Gameweek