Ruben Amorim could have quite easily blown the Marcus Rashford interview on his Manchester United future out of all proportion in his pre-match press conference.

There is no doubt that the comments from one of United's longest-serving players would have caught him, and everyone at the club, off guard. However, Amorim was not in the mood for melodramatics.

Having seen how far it got Erik ten Hag and even his one-time mentor Jose Mourinho, it was clear launching into a tirade was not going to do anyone any favours. Instead, he expertly put the ball back into Rashford's court by keeping the door open for him.

READ MORE: What Marcus Rashford did moments before dropping Man United transfer bombshell speaks volumes

READ MORE: 'Wasted potential' - Marcus Rashford transfer verdict and the realistic fee Man United can expect

"We have here a new challenge. It’s a tough one, for me it’s the biggest challenge in football because we are in a difficult situation and I already said this is one of the biggest clubs in the world," he explained.

"This is a really new challenge and the biggest one. I really hope all my players are ready for this new challenge."

Amorim continued: "We are better with Marcus Rashford, that is simple and we will try different things to push Marcus to the best levels he showed in the past. And that’s all.

"Of course (I would be happy to keep him), because this kind of club needs big talent and he’s a big talent. So he just needs to perform at the highest level and that is my focus.

"I just want to help Marcus." Before the manager's press conference, it was hard to see how Rashford could have stepped onto the field again in a United shirt.

Very few players from memory have been welcomed back into the fold after openly expressing their interest to leave. However, after Amorim's comments it feels like there is a route for Rashford to play up until the time comes that he departs.

Of course, it is not a guarantee that he will leave the club either in January or the summer but Amorim will have impressed Ineos by towing the line that Rashford is not being forced out. In that sense, the ball is firmly in the winger's court and should he decide to pursue that exit, nobody can turn on the Portuguese head coach and claimed he should have done more.

It really was a masterful display of public relations and now it is up to Rashford how this issue escalates from here.