Marcus Rashford must use the remainder of the season to prove he can be one of the best five strikers in the world, according to Michael Owen.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic ruled out until next year with a serious knee injury, Jose Mourinho has turned to 19-year-old livewire Rashford to spearhead United’s Premier League and Europa League challenge.

Former Old Trafford forward Owen says the teenager must persuade Mourinho he doesn’t need to buy more goals this summer.

Marcus Rashford must use the rest of the season to prove he can be great, says Michael Owen

Owen said: ‘The problem is that when you’re a centre forward for Manchester United, you have to be one of the best four or five centre forwards in the world, otherwise your manager will always be on the lookout for someone better.

‘Can he be one of the best four or five strikers in the world? He has to be. If he’s not, he’ll be played out wide or just when the main striker is injured.

‘With Ibrahimovic injured, he’s got a right chance and if he plays really, really well, Mourinho will look at it and think "do we really need a top line striker or is this lad ready to just go in?"

‘It was almost the perfect thing for him that Ibrahimovic signed, even though we thought he wouldn’t get a chance. It has bought him a year to impress and to get to where he needed to be for that next chance.’

Academy graduate Rashford, who burst on to the scene under Louis van Gaal last season, has kicked on with another 10 goals this campaign, even though he has been forced to play wide in support of Ibrahimovic.

BT Sport football expert Owen believes Rashford is that rare centre forward who not only offers goals but blistering pace.

He said: ‘I don’t care who you are in the world, you hate playing against those players. There aren’t many players who get you off your feet.

‘I couldn’t even count them on one hand — the centre forwards in the world who have his attributes, he has attributes you would die for.

‘He has definitely got the ability to turn into a world class player, a player Manchester United can rely on for big goals and big numbers of goals every season.’

Owen says Rashford must persuade Jose Mourinho he doesn’t need to buy more goals

United desperately want to return to the Champions League next season and have two ways to achieve it.

The first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final with Celta Vigo takes place in Spain on Thursday, but first they will attempt to keep pace with the Premier League top four against Swansea City.

United are a point behind rivals Manchester City in fourth place after they came away from the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night with a 0-0 draw despite Marouane Fellaini’s idiotic sending off for head-butting Sergio Aguero.

Despite Fellaini’s latest red mist moment, Owen believes Mourinho will keep faith with the Belgian, and said: ‘He offers Manchester United something different to what they have already got. He’s huge, he’s very difficult to play against.

‘Mourinho has found a role for him, he plays in a lot of games, he is a different option. I would say he has a future at Old Trafford if Mourinho is the manager.’

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