Rashford's Pace Key for Manchester United Against Atletico Madrid, Says Ashley Young

Former Manchester United attacker Ashley Young believes Marcus Rashford's pace and familiarity with the Atletico Madrid stadium could be crucial for Manchester United's chances of securing an upset on Tuesday night.

Rashford has yet to register a goal or assist this season and was a substitute in United's recent draw against Tottenham. However, Young highlighted Rashford's potential as the team's most significant speed threat and noted his experience playing in Spain, including a loan spell at Barcelona.

"Someone like Marcus Rashford playing, knowing him so well and playing alongside him, what he brings to a team, he's unbelievable," Young told Daily Mail Sport. "The things that he can do… it's like, when you're a footballer, the confidence, when you're playing with confidence, everything just seems to come off."

Young recalled Rashford scoring at Atletico Madrid's stadium during his loan spell with Barcelona last season. He suggested that Rashford's speed could be particularly effective against an Atletico side known for pushing players forward, creating opportunities for counter-attacks.

"I think he can play into Michael's hands if he's playing with pace tonight, because of the way that Atletico play," Young added. "They love to flood players forward. If that's the way, you play on the counter-attack, you need pace in the team, and someone like Marcus Rashford could definitely hurt an Atletico team tonight."

Young, who will be a pundit for the match alongside Wayne Rooney, emphasized the need for greater effort and determination from the United squad. He stressed the importance of grit and players willing to give their all on the pitch, especially heading into a critical week that includes the Atletico match and a subsequent fixture against rivals Leeds United.

"You've got to have grit, you've got to have determination," Young stated. "You've got to have people that want to go out there and literally leave blood and guts on the pitch."

Speaking about manager Michael Carrick, Young noted that the manager's calm public persona belies a more direct approach behind the scenes. "Of course, he really has [that ruthless side]," Young said. "Because he's so calm, he's so laid back, as a player when you played with him, as soon as Michael spoke it was like everyone stopped. He's got that experience and he knows the club. He knows everything as a player, he knows now as a manager. He knows the scrutiny that comes with it and he knew that as soon as he took the job. But he's got that [ruthless] way that if someone needs to be picked out and spoken to in a certain way, he'll do that. He did that as a player and sometimes I felt the wrath of it!"

Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United is scheduled to be broadcast exclusively on Prime, with coverage beginning at 6:30 PM.