United duo involved in car crash, Malacia hospitalised

For Manchester United sensation Marcus Rashford, art seems to imitate life. The past year has been turbulent for the Englishman, marred by numerous incidents ranging from speeding to personal mishaps.

Rashford was recently banned from driving for six months in December 2023 for speeding. But just two days before his court hearing, another disturbing incident occurred; this time, however, the Englishman was not even behind the wheel.

On Friday, United duo Tyrell Malacia and Marcus Rashford were involved in serious car accidents.

According to The Sun, he was driving behind his own Range Rover when it was hit by a black Mercedes.

The Range Rover was driven by a friend of Rashford’s, with United defender Tyrell Malacia in the passenger seat. After the collision, both Malacia and the driver were advised to seek medical attention and were taken to hospital.

Cheshire Police confirmed their involvement and said they were called to the scene where a blue Range Rover Sport and a black Mercedes C220 AMG Sport had collided.

The driver of the Mercedes, a 55-year-old woman, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to Macclesfield Hospital for examination.

Despite the severity of the accident, doctors diagnosed both players with “no significant injuries.”

Malacia’s condition and recovery

Malacia, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, was quickly discharged from hospital and resumed individual training the next day. He is currently following a personalized recovery plan in Manchester, so he did not take part in the team’s pre-season tour of the United States. However, he will soon rejoin the team as he continues his rehabilitation.

Although Rashford is not directly responsible for the latest incident, his run of bad luck continues to cast a shadow over his career. Last season was a particularly challenging one for him both on and off the pitch. However, the 26-year-old remains determined to get back to his best form and has travelled with the team to Los Angeles to take part in pre-season training under Erik ten Hag.

Impact on Manchester United

These incidents come at a critical time for Manchester United as they prepare for the new season. The club is in a transition phase and key players like Malacia are working towards full fitness. While the accident involving Rashford’s car was an unfortunate event, the quick recovery of Malacia and Rashford’s friend is a relief for the team.

The fact that the striker did not score ten goals in the 2023/24 season was one reason why Gareth Southgate did not call up the attacker for the European Championship. The striker’s erratic play and his eight goals last season helped the Red Devils to ninth place in the Premier League.

In the end, he did not make it into the England Euro 2024 team that made it to the final but lost to Spain in Berlin. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken positively about new assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy and said he will do his best to get Marcus Rashford back to playing at a high level.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Gonzales Photo