Anthony Martial has been told to work out by himself before Erik Ten Hag will think about picking him to play for Manchester United.
Mail Sport has heard that Martial hasn’t trained with his teammates since getting sick last month. Because of this, the Frenchman hasn’t been able to play since December 9, when United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth.
When asked about Martial in recent weeks, Ten Hag hasn’t said much. All he’s said is that he wasn’t fit for last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham. It is thought that the 28-year-old is not hurt right now, but he has not yet gotten back to full health after being sick last month.
Ten Hag’s choice to let Martial train alone is not a punishment, but it shows that he thinks players who aren’t match-fit should do individual training.
Given how hard and fast the boss wants his players to work in training, Martial is not currently thought to be fit enough to work with the first team.
Last month, a lot of United stars got sick. Marcus Rashford missed United’s last Champions League game against Bayern Munich because he had the Norovirus. He came back a few days later to play in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool.
United usually gives injured players one-on-one training, but the fact that Martial is taking so long to get back to full health has people talking.
Martial’s contract at Old Trafford ends at the end of the season. He has not been given a new deal, so he is likely to leave on a free transfer.
United would consider offers for Martial during this transfer window because getting rid of his £250,000-a-week salary would allow them to sign more players while still following Premier League spending rules. However, the player is thought to want to stay and compete for his spot.
Martial hasn’t lived up to his full promise since United paid Monaco £36 million for him nine years ago, making him the most expensive teenager in the Premier League. He has scored 63 league goals in 149 starts, though.
Ten Hag thinks Martial is an important part of his team because of this skill. He has played 19 times this season, which shows how much he values him, so he wants to have him ready for selection as soon as possible.