(Reuters) – Manchester United are better with Marcus Rashford, coach Ruben Amorim said on Wednesday, after the forward said he was ready for a new challenge when asked about his future at the Old Trafford club.

The 27-year-old England international was left out of United’s squad for Sunday’s derby against Manchester City which they went on to win 2-1 in dramatic fashion at the Etihad Stadium.

Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, was also not part of the squad for the Premier League clash, with new boss Amorim later saying his decisions were all about holding his players to high standards.

“I don’t talk about the future, we talk about the present,” Amorim told reporters ahead of Thursday’s League Cup quarter-final trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

“We are better with Marcus Rashford. This kind of club needs big talents – and he is a big talent.

“We have one more training session and they (Rashford and Garnacho) are in the same situation as the other players. If they train well, we have to make a choice.”

Capped 60 times for England, Rashford has been at United since the age of seven, scoring 138 goals in 426 appearances since making his senior debut for the club in 2016.

Having won the Europa League, two FA Cups and the League Cup twice during his time at United, Rashford signed a new five-year contract last year but has been linked with a move away from the club.

He spoke on the subject on Tuesday while visiting his old school to hand out Christmas presents, saying he was ready for the next steps.

“What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford… I want the best from each one of them. I just want to win and help the team be better,” Amorim said.

“We are better with Marcus Rashford and it’s that simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past.”

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(This story has been refiled to say two FA Cups, not three, in paragraph 8)

(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)