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Marcus Rashford is definitely the man of the moment at Manchester United.

A brace on debut inspired the Reds through a tricky evening against FC Midtjylland and a derby winner to reinvigorate their top four chances has ensured that mentions of Federico Macheda continue to dwindle.

It is easy to see why so many are excited by the 18-year-old.

Every football fan enjoys a homegrown talent coming all the way through, and Rashford has had a genuinely impressive introduction to his professional career.

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He would do exceptionally well to come close to having a career mentioned in the same bracket as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but it is nonetheless revealing that his start has been more prolific than those superstars.

At the same time, Nicky Butt's pleading for Rashford not to be thrown into the England set-up too early smacks of common sense.

Less than a month has passed since the teenager made his first start for United; he is not going to be the saviour of the national team at Euro 2016.

Circumstance cannot be ignored in Rashford's rise either, with injuries to Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial granting him a place in the team. The skipper's return could block that avenue again, with James Wilson a good reminder that a fast start does not guarantee an ever-rising trajectory.

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Which brings us neatly to the middle ground.

Watching Rashford at any level this season, his attributes shine through. He has pace to worry defenders and sound judgment on the ball, whether that is his finishing in front of goal or heading straight for the corner flag as time ticked away in the derby at the weekend.

His work-rate is also excellent and he is happy to get into a foot race with full-backs down the channels and shift across the front line, a versatility that Louis van Gaal has already made use of.

Rooney's return may limit his chances, but Rashford retained his place when Martial came back.

Most starts in all comps for United youngsters

It may be less than a month, but Jesse Lingard (with 24) is the only homegrown player that can boast more than the rookie's eight starts this season and only four Under-21 players have had more game time.

Many drew from Luke Shaw's performances at the start of the campaign that he was much improved on last year and ready to be a key figure for United and England - 'the season of Luke Shaw', as Van Gaal put in his idiosyncratic way.

If that judgment is deemed reasonable it would be churlish to deny any analysis of Rashford, a player who has as many starts and 18 fewer minutes on the pitch.

There is no need to go overboard in praise, but nor should the substance already suggesting a promising future be dismissed.