We may never know if Erik ten Hag had intended on starting Anthony Martial in the FA Cup final but he must curse sending him on against Fulham.
Martial sustained his sixth injury of the season in a 23-minute outing. Manchester United supporters spotted Martial clutching his hamstring during the lap of appreciation.
As the players approached the tunnel on Sunday, Martial, with his son Swan in his arms, held his hand aloft gratefully. Father and son never re-emerged for a post-match kick about whereas almost every other father in the United squad did.
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In a barren midweek, the build-up to the FA Cup final demanded training pictures. Of the 44 uploaded onto Getty Images on Tuesday, Martial was conspicuous by his absence.
Even Donny van de Beek was captured. So were Nathan Bishop, Radek Vitek, Brandon Williams and Anthony Elanga. The besuited Martial was at the player of the year awards do at Old Trafford on Monday night and he will stay in his Paul Smith two-piece at Wembley on Saturday.
Martial scored twice against Manchester City in October (although United had already conceded six) and United were the superior side in the first half of the January derby that Martial started. He did not finish it. Martial withdrew through injury at the interval.
Come the campaign's conclusion, Martial will have appeared in 29 of United's 62 matches. Only 17 were starts. Even when he was fit and in training, he did not play for four weeks as Ten Hag eased him back into a competitive environment.
Reintegrating Martial into the team after injury has become as delicate as assembling a nuclear weapon. Wout Weghorst started 19 successive games for United and did not succumb to injury once. A hybrid of the workhorse Weghorst and Martial would be a world-beater.
It is not as if Martial is susceptible to muscular problems as Ryan Giggs was in the 90s. Martial does not burst into such a breakneck speed that he leaves skid marks in his wake and it is often difficult to tell if he is injured or not, such is Martial's cumbersome body language.
Wembley marks Martial's zenith and nadir at United. His added-time winner against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final in 2016 is one of the most euphoric moments United supporters have enjoyed in the last decade and it cemented Martial's status at the time as a cult figure.
Seven years on, he is missing both cup finals at the national stadium. Ten Hag has spoken with such clarity and conviction that United play better with Martial at the apex of their attack his preparations must have altered.
United have a bigger problem than Martial's fitness - he is possibly unsellable. Martial, 28 in December, is out of contract next year and this newspaper revealed in February United are aiming to sell him.
But to whom? Martial has scored 17 goals in the last three seasons, he has not completed 90 minutes in the Premier League since January 2021 and he has injured his Achilles, hamstring, back and hip this season. Any medical would be longer than a series of Casualty.
United communicated Martial had suffered a "muscle tear". That does not necessarily suggest a quick recovery or a quick sale.
And such is Martial's brittleness it is no longer a fait accompli his one-year option would be triggered. How apposite if both members of the French connection that United indulged were both released.
Several eminent clubs are in the market for a No.9 this summer (United scouting staff calculated at least four earlier this season) but none will move for Martial. Mauricio Pochettino was eager to work with Martial at Tottenham yet that was five years ago and Chelsea have had their fill of mercurial strikers.
United invested £58million in Martial and they would struggle to get half of that now. A loan fee with his wages covered for the entire season is maybe the best-case scenario unless there is a starstruck, gullible club eager to increase its online following with ample funds.
That used to be United.
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