Marcus Rashford’s astonishing start in senior football has given

Manchester United a significant lift at a key stage of a trying season,

ahead of Watford’s visit on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old striker has impressed in United’s junior sides this

season, scoring three times at Under-19 level and also finding the net

regularly for the Under-21 team.

His breakthrough into the senior side, though, has surprised even the

most optimistic of United supporters, with four goals in his first two

games.

Having struck twice in a Europa League win over FC Midtjylland last

Thursday, Rashford followed that up with two more in Sunday’s 3-2

Premier League victory over Arsenal.

Manager Louis van Gaal is wary of asking the Manchester-born forward

to take on too much responsibility too soon, but leaving him out against

Watford may well prove impossible.

Even so, Van Gaal is urging caution.

“We have to wait and see with Marcus,” he said. “He has only played

two matches. It is about consistency. He has to show it in the third and

the fourth and the fifth game.

“But what he has shown in the second match is already an improvement on the first and that is special.”

Rashford is not the only young player to break into the United side in recent weeks.

Defenders Donald Love, Regan Poole and Timothy Fosu-Mensah have also

been given debuts since the beginning of February, as have midfielders

James Weir and Joe Riley.

To a certain degree, Van Gaal’s hand has been forced by a long injury list.

Rashford was only given a chance because of a hamstring injury to

Anthony Martial, with United short of options in attack as Wayne Rooney

recovers from the knee injury that is set to keep him out until April.

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Fosu-Mensah,

meanwhile, was thrown on against Arsenal after Marcos Rojo injured his

ankle, joining a casualty list that includes Matteo Darmian, Ashley

Young, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marouane Fellaini, among others.

The emergence of so many youngsters, though, has cheered up United

supporters who have had little else to shout about this season.

It perhaps helps that they have come through at a time when their team has started winning again.

The victory over Arsenal was their third in a row in all competitions

and has reignited hopes of qualification for next season’s Champions

League. United lie fifth, three points behind fourth-place Manchester

City.

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores is hoping to take advantage of

United’s gruelling schedule of six games in 19 days, as well as the

club’s lengthy injury list.

“Sometimes when we plan for the match it’s like we always need to be inside of the manager’s head on the other team,” he said.

“I don’t know exactly how Van Gaal is thinking about the next match

or what his focus will be. They have a lot of targets in this moment and

play a lot of matches. For us it is an opportunity to have points.

“We know we are very competitive and we can go every single step to win. Now we have 37 points and we are happy.”

The weekend 0-0 draw with Bournemouth left Watford comfortable in

10th place and effectively ended any lingering fears that they may get

dragged down the table.

Flores may take advantage by resting Etienne Capoue after the midfielder was withdrawn against Bournemouth.

“Capoue is a very important player for us,” the Spaniard said.

“He has played a lot of minutes this season. I felt he might be a bit

tired. I felt he was not clear in the mind, he was not normal, but it

is possible when a player plays a lot he is a bit tired.”