Manchester United will be without Anthony Martial for their FA Cup final showdown with rivals Manchester City.
The Frenchman suffered a hamstring injury after coming off the bench in the second half of Sunday’s final day Premier League win over Fulham.
United have now confirmed that Martial has been diagnosed with a muscle tear following further assessments, ruling him out of Saturday’s massive clash with Treble-chasing City at Wembley.
With recent reports suggesting renewed doubts over the 27-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford, this latest injury setback raises the possibility that he could have played his final game for the club.
Martial has been at United for eight years since moving from Monaco in a £36million deal in the summer of 2015 that saw him then hold the title of the most expensive teenager in football history.
He has gone on to score 88 goals in 298 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, but has often struggled for consistency despite flashes of brilliance and excellent form, beset by injuries in recent years.
Martial has notched just nine times in 29 outings this term, restricted to only 11 top-flight starts due to a combination of hip, hamstring, back and Achilles issues.
He is about to enter the final year of his contract, with no extension having been agreed. United are targeting a splashy addition up front this summer, with eyes on England captain Harry Kane at Tottenham.
Manager Erik ten Hag hopes to have Antony fit for the FA Cup final meeting with City after the Brazilian winger was stretchered off with an ankle injury during the 4-1 win over Chelsea on Thursday.
However, key centre-back Lisandro Martinez remains a long-term absentee, with the likes of midfield duo Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek also still sidelined.
Premier League champions City would secure the Double if they beat their cross-city rivals this weekend with just the Champions League final to come against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 in their bid to match United’s famous 1999 Treble winners, while Ten Hag is looking for another Wembley triumph having ended the club’s six-year trophy drought in the Carabao Cup showpiece against Newcastle back in February.
