Michael Owen: Forgive Marcus Rashford's Manchester United form, he should be in England squad for Euro 2024

Michael Owen believes Marcus Rashford's Manchester United form should not have led to his omission from the England squad for Euro 2024, as the forward remains a game-changer.

Gareth Southgate has selected his provisional 33-man roster for the summer tournament, which sees England installed as second-favourites with the bookmakers as they aim to lift the trophy for the first time.

That list must be cut down by seven in early June, with 11 forwards currently fighting for a place. Rashford is among the most high-profile stars left out entirely - alongside another United winger in Jadon Sancho.

The latter has starred on loan at Borussia Dortmund in the latter half of this season, following a very public fallout with under-fire United boss Erik ten Hag.

In Dortmund's run to the UEFA Champions League final, Sancho has started all six knockout games, scoring against PSV Eindhoven and stealing the headlines with a big performance versus Paris Saint-Germain.

Rashford has had no such luck, though, with United stuttering to their lowest ever Premier League finish (eighth). The 22-year-old has scored just eight times in 42 games across all competitions this term, and been widely criticised for his displays.

It comes after an impressive 2022/23, during which the versatile attacker struck his only career goals at a major tournament - against Iran and Wales (twice) at the 2022 World Cup. That followed goalless appearances at Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.

The Manchester native has been widely linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur all making headlines over potential moves on the gossip pages this week.

Owen is ready to excuse his poor form for the Red Devils, however - insisting Rashford should be starting for England as a left-winger, alternating with Anthony Gordon during the tournament in Germany.

The former Liverpool and United centre-forward is less concerned over Sancho missing out, with Rashford ahead in his pecking order.

The man with 40 England goals told TNT Sports: "Marcus Rashford is one that I would have definitely included.

"I know he's had a poor season, but you know that there's a player in there and he's actually done really well for England over the time that he's been there.

"I'd forgive everybody for playing average in the Man United team at the moment. In fact, I'd do that for about the last dozen years.

"You can count so many great players that Manchester United have bought or brought through the ranks that have had poor seasons in the last dozen years - and then left and gone and had a great career.

"It's just a hard place to perform at the moment, and it has been for a decade or so - so I wouldn't necessarily be so critical and so harsh on him.

"If I was Gareth Southgate and I was 1-0 down with 15 minutes to go in the semi-final of the European Championships, and I turned around to my bench - even though I'd have [Phil] Foden, Cole Palmer, [Bukayo] Saka, [James] Maddison or [Jack] Grealish - if I saw Rashford, I'd think to myself, you can change a game like that.

"Your skill, your pace, your finishing ability, you can change a game. Also, I think with the players that he's going to pick, we haven't got loads of pace.

"Saka is not one that tears behind and scares the life out of people with his pace. He more gets the ball to feet, or if it's Foden out there, or if it's Cole Palmer, they're more getting the ball to feet.

"I think having an outlet on the left... in my mind, I had Rashford and Anthony Gordon out there on the left and almost alternate it for the group stage.

"See who's in form: if Rashford is still not playing well, maybe put Gordon out there, but just having one side that's an outlet of real pace changes it up for us, so I would have picked Rashford.

"I think Jadon Sancho being omitted from the squad is not the greatest of surprises. We are so well off in his position - wherever that might be, on the left or on the right, or even as No. 10. We've got so many players.

"Jadon Sancho again had a real poor spell at Manchester United, didn't play much, he's gone back to Germany to try to find that spark. Of course, he's in the Champions League final, so he's well on his way to reigniting that. You could make a case, absolutely."

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