Gary Neville has questioned the professionalism of both Marcus Rashford and Casemiro after the Manchester United pair jetted to the United States during the international break.
Rashford, who once again was not selected by Lee Carsley for England’s final Nations League matches last week, enjoyed his Three Lions exile by travelling stateside to watch an NBA game between New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden last Friday.
Before taking to his courtside seats, Rashford was greeted by a host of NBA players including Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson and many stars of the entertainment world such as Spike Lee and Ben Stiller.
The Manchester United forward, who wore a black t-shirt, black leather trousers and a white Louis Vuitton coat, also caught the eye with glitzy new set of grills to accompany his fashionable outfit.
Meanwhile, Casemiro travelled to Orlando over the international break and posted photos of him and his family at Disney World on Instagram.
Gary Neville (above) has questioned the professionalism of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro
Both Manchester United stars jetted to the US during Ruben Amorim’s first fortnight in charge
Rashford flew to New York to watch an basketball game at Madison Square Gardens last Friday
Disappointed with the pair for jetting across the Atlantic during Ruben Amorim’s first fortnight as Manchester United manager, Red Devils legend Neville questioned their professionalism and suggested they would suffer from jet lag upon their return.
‘The professionalism, looking after your body and making sure you’re best prepared for the next training session is critical to every decision you make during the season,’ Neville urged on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘He has got a mental break, he’s got to get away and has got to rest with friends – then you talk about the choice of venue, how far do you fly, what’s the time difference, is that going to give a jet lag issue, is that going to give a stiffness issue from being on a flight for 12 hours?
‘This is on Casemiro more than Rashford but if I’m 30 years old and I’m looking after my body – and he’s won five Champions Leagues and is an unbelievable player, but if he was away with Brazil for 10 days, we would say he would struggle this weekend because he’s been away.
‘They have chosen that international break. If you are talking about the minor details in being as professional as you can be and as prepared you can be for a training session on a Monday night, that isn’t the best choice of venue.’
Rashford was joined by his friend Ro-Shaun Williams, who came through the United ranks with the 27-year-old and now plays for Northern Irish side Larne.
The Red Devils forward had previously travelled to Belfast to meet Williams in January, after his former team-mate had signed for his new club.
The trip ultimately led to Rashford being disciplined by recently sacked Man United boss Erik ten Hag, after the forward had called in sick following an all-day drinking session in Belfast the previous day.
The Red Devils forward wore a white Louis Vuitton coat and black leather trousers at the game
He was flanked courtside by the likes of Hollywood’s Ben Stiller and friend Ro-Shaun Williams
Continuing to criticise the pair over their recent trip stateside, Neville added: ‘I’m not that wound up about Rashford and Casemiro going over to the United States, but what I’m asking is, if you’ve got a four-day break, Portland is a 12-hour flight and an eight-hour time difference, your jet lag is bad, and you feel a bit [rough].
‘They went to Portland, and I’m asking the question based on professionalism – you’re playing badly, the team are losing, your 13th in the league, and there is a new manager coming in – would you choose that trip as a break to recharge your batteries? That’s not a recharging trip. It’s not right that.’
Ian Wright disagreed with his podcast co-host, however, and said he had no problem with Rashford and Casemiro heading to the US during their time off.
When asked whether he would travel to the USA during an international break, Wright said: ‘If it’s my time off then yes, I’d do it. Simply, because it’s my time off. If you’re going for three or four days, that jet lag won’t cause you too much of a problem.
Amorim, who officially took charge at Old Trafford last week, will want to get off to a fast start at the club against Ipswich on Sunday, especially given Ruud van Nistelrooy went undefeated during his interim spell at the helm.
United had slipped to 14th in the Premier League prior to Ten Hag’s departure and have climbed up one place since ahead of Sunday’s trip to Portman Road.
