'I'm not Harry Potter!' - Erik ten Hag's hilarious reaction to Marcus Rashford's incredible form & confirms he's set to face Newcastle

• Rashford posted career-best goal tally
• Ten Hag joked "he's not Harry Potter"
• Instead explains form largely due to player

WHAT HAPPENED? The red-hot forward has already bagged a career-best 27 goals across all competitions this campaign, and has helped take United firmly into Champions League qualification. Despite this upturn in form coinciding with the appointment of Ten Hag at the helm, the Dutchman insisted that he alone cannot be held responsible - and joked he was not the famous wizard from children's fiction.

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WHAT THEY SAID: "It's not about just a talk - I'm not Harry Potter!" the Dutchman told reporters in Friday's press conference. "It's a process, there are many tools that you put in in your management to let people get to their best form and best shape. It's about line-up, way of [playing], coaching, formal or informal talks, it's about coaches working with him. But especially, it's a lot about himself, because he has the skills. When he has the best attitude, the best mentality, then he will score goals."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ten Hag will welcome Rashford back to the fray after a period out on the sidelines, which saw him forced to withdraw from Gareth Southgate's recent England squad. Unlike team-mate Luke Shaw, United are yet to tie down the forward to a deal beyond his current contract which expires in 2024, but Rashford was quick to dispels rumours that he would be leaving the club anytime soon.

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DID YOU KNOW? Rashford's tally of 27 goals places him behind only Kylian Mbappe (31) and Erling Haaland (42) in this season's scoring charts around Europe's top-five leagues.

WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD? After some time off during the international break, the 25-year-old will be raring to go for United's first Premier League game back, which comes away at Newcastle on Sunday.