Marcus Rashford appears in No. 9 shirt for Manchester United’s pre-season friendly with AC Milan
Marcus Rashford was listed in Manchester United’s starting XI against AC Milan in the club’s final pre-season friendly before the 2026-27 season, appearing in the No. 9 shirt. The appearance drew surprise from supporters when the lineups were published.
Rashford returned to Manchester United after spending last season on loan at FC Barcelona, where he won the league title and found back his form. Barcelona had an option-to-buy clause for Rashford set at €30 million (£26m) that required activation by June 15, 2026; the club declined to trigger the clause for financial reasons and the option expired. During last season’s summer transfer window Matheus Cunha was given United’s No. 10 jersey, leaving Rashford in need of a new squad number upon his return.
Supporters quickly noted the No. 9 worn by Rashford in the match-day selection, prompting discussion on social channels. Reposts earlier last week had suggested Rashford would take the No. 14 shirt for the new campaign. The numbers shown in pre-season prompted close attention because of the reshuffle of United’s squad numbers over the previous season.
The match-day announcement included the line "Our final starting XI of Tour 2026! 📋🤍ℹ️" followed by an official clarification from the club. United have confirmed that "Squad numbers worn in pre-season are provisional and yet to be finalised." The club’s statement reiterated that the figures displayed for pre-season fixtures are not necessarily the numbers players will carry into the competitive season.
Hardik, the article’s author, is a journalist and Senior Assistant Editor at Khel Now. He is a graduate of Maharaja Agrasen College, Delhi University, with experience in writing, editing and on-camera work, and is described in the piece as a passionate follower of Manchester United, Lewis Hamilton and CM Punk.
Kit numbers used during pre-season can be changed ahead of the new Premier League season, so Rashford’s permanent squad number for 2026-27 has not been finalised.
