Redknapp: Jose's Rash Challenge

Jamie Redknapp says Marcus Rashford will be on top of the world after his midweek hat-trick, but explains why he won't start for Manchester United in Saturday's derby and why that won't be a tough decision for Jose Mourinho...

Marcus Rashford made a massive statement in midweek by scoring a hat-trick on his debut for England's Under-21's.

Most readers probably won't remember that I scored a hat-trick for England Under-21s in 1994. It barely even made the newspapers because Robbie Fowler got sent off that day; I remember being devastated because I got one line at the bottom of the article!

Maybe it was a quiet news day, but Rashford made a lot of headlines in midweek, especially with Sam Allardyce in the crowd watching him.

It was an important moment for the kid and will make him feel a little bit taller. He'll believe in himself more than ever and will go back to Manchester United feeling like a million dollars.

There will be confidence flowing through his veins. He'll feel closer than ever to be able to go to his manager and say 'I'm ready now'.

But I don't think he will start in the Manchester derby.

I see him being used as an impact substitute - as he was when he scored the winner against Hull a fortnight ago - and I don't think it's a difficult decision for Jose Mourinho.

That's because things have gone well for Manchester United so far this season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a big-game player and you wouldn't dream of leaving Wayne Rooney out at the moment. There's enough evidence to justify keeping Rashford on the bench for now.

It's easier to keep a 18-year-old happy when he's not playing than it would be to keep Rooney or Ibrahimovic happy. If he left one of those two out of this game he might lose them for the rest of the season.

I don't think that's Mourinho's game. He's too clever and astute for that. He will tell Rashford 'well done, you're amazing and I need you to be ready to come on for me on Saturday.' He'll tell him he can be the matchwinner in the derby.

He will say all the right things and tell him the game will be about the substitutes. He'll play lots of little mind games with him to make him think he's involved and keep him from getting frustrated.

I remember being a young player myself and thinking I should be playing. That's where you need a good manager to explain the situation to you.

Mourinho's job is to make sure this kid doesn't get disillusioned and handle the situation carefully. He knows he's got a genuine talent there

But that can't happen for long. Rashford will want to play and there comes a time when Mourinho won't be able to ignore the talent that's coming through. Europa League and cup games may keep him going for a while, but won't satisfy this kid for long.

Ibrahimovic and Rooney are no fools. They won't want to be injured or go out of the team because once this kid gets in, he won't go out again. That puts everyone in a great place.

It's great news for Manchester United because Rooney (the captain) and Ibrahimovic (a huge ego) can handle it. The difficulty only comes if United lose a couple of games and Mourinho still doesn't throw him in. That's when the conversations get tougher.

But there's no doubt, there will come a time where you've got to let the kid off the leash.

Maybe he will be needed on Saturday because I see it being a tight match which could be decided by the substitutes.

I expect goals, even in the absence of Sergio Aguero, but I don't think Mourinho will allow it to be wide open.

I'm really excited about the game. I'm currently in the USA filming A League Of Their Own: US Road Trip, so I'll be getting up early with Freddie Flintoff, Jack Whitehall and James Corden to watch it over breakfast.

But I think it might take 70 minutes to come to life. It certainly won't be boring but I am expecting a draw; an outcome that both teams will be comfortable with.

I think Pep Guardiola would bite your hand off for a point and Mourinho, who has a strong head-to-head record against the big clubs - wouldn't be too disappointed either.

It will be tight and who knows? Maybe Rashford will come off the bench and make the difference…

Credit: Skysports.com