Unai Emery has not given up hope that Marcus Rashford will play again for Aston Villa this season.
Rashford has a hamstring injury that means he may find it difficult to recover for any of Villa’s final four games – starting against Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday.
Emery said: ‘For tomorrow, he is not available. He is working to come back as soon as possible.
‘He is still weeks [away] to be available. Hopefully, he will play with us one or two matches.’
Asked whether Rashford would be at Villa next season, Emery replied: ‘Tomorrow is Fulham. We don’t want to finish the season – we want to play.
‘Hopefully, he can help us. He is recovering with us here. I want to see him happy. Then we will speak about it.’
Unai Emery is hopeful Marcus Rashford will return before the end of the season
Rashford is currently out with a hamstring problem, and Villa only have four games left to play
Villa still have a decision to make over whether to sign Rashford permanently this summer
The England forward joined Villa on loan last January, initially for the rest of the season with an option to buy him from Manchester United for £40million.
Rashford’s £315,000-a-week deal at Old Trafford means a permanent signing is complicated for any club, especially those outside the Champions League.
That is why Villa may try to negotiate a second loan deal late in the window, if they, United and Rashford are in the market for one.
