Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag provides an update on Anthony Martial’s injuries.
Anthony Martial has missed 28 of Manchester United’s 40 games this season, and the club has six games in three separate competitions scheduled for March.
Erik ten Hag is unclear whether Anthony Martial will play for Manchester United again before the March international break.
United have up to six games left until the spring internationals, and Martial has missed 28 of United’s 40 games this season due to five different injuries.
The 27-year-old has been out for four weeks due to a hip injury, but he has begun individual training sessions and did some ball work during last week’s Carrington open session.
However, Martial has not played for United since the January 14 Manchester derby, and he last played 90 minutes in a Premier League encounter in January 2021.
United are hoping to trade Martial in the summer to partly finance a deal for a new goalscorer and Ten Hag clarified “except Anthony Martial, the availability from all the players is there”.
“I hope but I don’t give an expectation about that,” Ten Hag said of a possible Martial return within the next two-and-a-half weeks. “Let him do his work. Several times now then he drops back too quickly. Give him the time.
“Of course, I hope he’s on board but at this moment we’re doing really well with this set-up. When he is available then we have an extra option and a good option so give him time.
“When he’s back we’ll be happy because we will have quality extra option, hopefully for the rest of the season.”
Ten Hag suggested Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford would start against West Ham in spite of their recent workload. The pair started in all eight of United’s fixtures in February and Rashford came off with an apparent ankle injury against Barcelona last week.
Fernandes has never missed a game for United through injury since he joined the club in January 2020. “He is fit,” Ten Hag said of Rashford.
“Yeah, [Fernandes] does but he likes to play and he doesn’t want to miss anything.”
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