Marcus Rashford has been handed the vacant No9 shirt by Manchester United ahead of the new Premier League season.

Man Utd confirmed the decision ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture away at newly-promoted Hull, in what is surely a clear sign that the England forward will not be leaving Old Trafford ahead of the summer transfer deadline on September 1.

Rashford’s old No10 shirt went to Brazilian attacker Matheus Cunha when the latter joined the club from Wolves last summer, with Rashford loaned out to Barcelona after a stint at Aston Villa and his United career seemingly at an end after being frozen out by former boss Ruben Amorim.

Rashford was listed without a squad number on Saturday’s matchday programme at the MKM Stadium, where Michael Carrick’s reign as permanent manager begins against the Championship play-off winners in a lunchtime kick-off.

The United No9 jersey was previously occupied by Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who spent last season on loan at Napoli and joined the Serie A club on a permanent transfer earlier this summer.

Rashford wore the same number against Amorim’s AC Milan on his first appearance for United since December 2024 in a final pre-season friendly in Poland last weekend, which they lost 4-2 at the Wroclaw Stadium.

Anthony Martial wore No9 for United before Hojlund, after Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Radamel Falcao, Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Louis Saha.

It had been suggested that Benjamin Sesko could take it this season, but he has opted to retain the No30.

New signings Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow will wear Nos17, 18 and 12 respectively, with 15-year-old sensation JJ Gabriel given No77 as fellow youngster Shea Lacey switches to No31.

Rashford looking set to remain at United this season comes after Barcelona in June declined their option to convert his season-long loan spell at the Camp Nou into a £26m permanent transfer, instead signing the likes of England team-mate Anthony Gordon from Newcastle.

The 28-year-old was previously said to have a clause in his contract that made him available to any club bar United’s rivals Liverpool and Manchester City for a fee of £40m, though that expired.

Rashford - believed to earn around £325,000 a week at Old Trafford - is understood to prefer to remain at United rather than join another Premier League club and is eager to concentrate on impressing new permanent boss and former team-mate Michael Carrick.

After Jamie Carragher this week hit back at Gary Neville for again mentioning Rashford on the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Rashford tweeted: “Thanks, Jamie. It would be great to be able to get my head down and play football without my name being mentioned every day.”

Asked about Rashford being given the No9 shirt before the meeting with Hull, Carrick told TNT Sports: “I don't think that suggests any more than what the situation is.

“We're delighted to have Marcus back. He's looked fit, sharp and in a really good place. He offers us an awful lot so for sure we are delighted to have him.”