Erik ten Hag saw Marcus Rashford's trip to New York as a "positive" despite the Manchester United star copping criticism.
The forward couldn't play for England during the international break due to a fitness issue and opted to spend a few days in the Big Apple with his partner. The Three Lions picked up two wins without him, but the decision to pull out of the squad and then jet off divided opinion.
Ten Hag had no issue with his player flying across the Atlantic, though, and was pleased he took the opportunity to enjoy some downtime. United's schedule has been hectic as they battle in several competitions and Rashford has excelled - scoring more goals than ever before in a season.
His manager said: "For me, it's positive he took that time to turn off from football. I have seen him back this week and he has shown a lot of energy, a lot of motivation, it was a good spirit and a lot of focus."
Rashford has been in sensational form since the World Cup, which earned him another call-up to Gareth Southgate's latest England squad. His injury and subsequent withdrawal came as a blow to the Three Lions, but Southgate had no problem with his decision to go on holiday.
Southgate said: “Once Marcus is ruled out of the squad, it’s entirely up to him how he spends his time. The players don’t get a lot of breaks and I’m sure some of them will be flying off after [the game vs Ukraine] if they get 48 hours off with the schedule as it is. We are always linking with clubs on scans and assessments.
“There is also how every individual player feels, so there is a lot involved. I am always working with the players on what the best solution is for them. Of course, we always want the players and we always want to work with them as often as we can."
Rashford's trip came amid continued talk regarding his future with his United contract winding down. The club are desperate to keep him but the player wants a deal that reflects his current value as he enters the peak years of his career.
Ten Hag refused to be drawn on speculation, though, insisting his and the player's focus is on matters on the pitch. "It's an internal process and we focus on winning games," added the United boss. "Of course, we are also planning for the future so, in the back[ground], we are working on that but that is about agents, it's about football director John Murtough. We are focusing, Rashy and I, on performing."
