The Red Devils might have been mauled by the Tigers on the opening game of the term, but their big win over Ipswich Town last weekend illustrated their attacking potential, charged by the Magnifico that is Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes, 31, will need more support this term, though, and while he is one of the best players in the Premier League, the likes of Marcus Rashford could make all the difference over the course of the campaign.

How Marcus Rashford can star for Man Utd this season

He's been something of a polarising figure in recent years, but Rashford is back with the Manchester United persuasion, featuring across both Premier League games so far this season, starting against Ipswich.

Rashford, after all, knows how to score a goal in a Man United shirt. He has bagged a fair few since emerging as a prodigious prospect a decade ago, that rich goalscoring run sending the country into a frenzy.

Rashford, 28, is one of English football's most prominent players. A high-profile fallout with Ruben Amorim ostracised him from Old Trafford, though, and he spent last season out on loan with Barcelona, winning La Liga.

It felt like the Three Lions star's time with United was done, but he has been welcomed back by a manager in Carrick who is fighting to restore a family feeling at the club, and the second-half-of-season resurgence in 2025/26 bears testament to that.

After that victory over Ipswich, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville remarked that "Rashford delivered an 8/10 performance". He's back, having created three chances and won seven duels.

He did miss a great chance to score, though, and against Everton on Sunday, the manager may be tempted to hand a big-money forward their first start of the season.

How Man Utd could replace Rashford

Rashford played well down the left flank last season, but perhaps Cunha's maverick ability could better serve Carrick's side at the Hill Dickinson; his electric movement and fleet-footedness could nip at an Everton backline without a natural right-back.

Should Carrick make that decision, it would surely be time to welcome Benjamin Sesko to the starting line-up for the first time this season. Sesko, 23, joined the Old Trafford side from RB Leipzig for £74m.

Man United director Jason Wilcox has hailed the Slovenian for his "world-class potential", and while he hasn't always put in 10/10 performances, there is indeed so much to like - and, standing at 6 foot 5, he would give United the focal presence they might need against a tough Everton defence.

Sesko was certainly something of a mixed bag in the Premier League last season, but his clinical upturn across the second half of the season cannot be disputed. Nine of his 11 top-flight goals for the Red Devils came after the turn of the calendar year.

Sesko needs to start playing. In November last year, Neville criticised the young forward as he struggled to adapt to Premier League life. He said he was “miles off it”, but Sesko proved him wrong by establishing himself as one of the country's most prolific goalscorers of 2026, living up to the billing of scout Jacek Kulig who labelled him as the "new Erling Haaland".

Under Amorim's wing, sure, Sesko failed to impress. But he's not the first young forward to require time to grow into their skin once arriving on English shores, and while Carrick likes the dynamism and unpredictability that placing Cunha at No. 9 provides his system, sometimes, route one is the way to go.

Man United need to string back-to-back wins together in the Premier League, lest they suffer the same kind of inconsistencies that have plagued them over many interminable years.

Hailed as a "monster" of an emerging striker by analyst Ben Mattinson, Sesko's presence in the final third could help them on their way. It's time for him to grasp his first start of the season.