Erik ten Hag has refused to confirm whether Anthony Martial has a future at Manchester United.
With the £60 million Frenchman stepping up yet another bid to get back to full fitness, United boss Ten Hag insisted that he still believes in the 27-year-old. But the Dutchman’s reluctance to speculate on whether Martial can be a part of his long-term plans for Old Trafford, suggests that time is running out for the injury-plagued former Monaco forward.
“I don’t think this is the right moment (to say) whether that would be the case,” said Ten Hag when pressed on whether Martial can stake a claim to be with United beyond this season.
“But I believe in him. Every time he is available, he really gives a good contribution to the team performance and the level of the team. He is training at the moment. We are just working with him to get fit and to be available.”
Ten Heg admitted that he substituted Martial at half-time during United’s victory in the Manchester derby in January because the striker was worried about being injured.
Marcus Rashford played through the pain barrier that day - and was rewarded with a priceless late strike to seal the points. Asked whether Martial needed to also toughen up, Ten Hag added: “Every person is different.
“You have to treat every person differently. This process you have to take really carefully. I am doing everything to get him back to availability.”
One of Ten Hag’s first steps when he became United boss last summer was to urge both Martial and Rashford to seize the opportunities that would come their way after the club made it clear there was no money available to sign a new striker.
While Rashford has responded spectacularly with 26 goals, it has been another frustrating season for the Frenchman. Martial has scored six goals in just 14 appearances and hasn’t played since suffering a hip injury after coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 EFL Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on February 1.
When he was left out of France’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, he became embroiled in a training ground bust-up with youth-team player Dan Gore.
Ten Hag urged United to finance a £40 million move for Cody Gakpo only to see the Dutchman join arch-rivals Liverpool. And the arrival of Burnley reject Wout Weghorst on loan illustrated how Ten Hag’s plans have changed.
United had such high hopes when they signed him almost eight years ago that they included a clause in the deal with Monaco that would see the French club cash in with a bonus if Martial won the Ballon d’Or. He then scored a sensational winner against Liverpool on his debut.
But Jose Mourinho urged the club to sell the striker when he was in charge at Old Trafford after questioning whether he had either the mental or physical strength to excel at the highest level.
It was a huge surprise when United handed Martial a new four-and-a-half-year contract in January 2019 with the option of a further 12-month extension.
He was loaned to Seville for the second half of last season after failing to impress either Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or interim boss Ralf Rangnick, but had a miserable time in Spain.
United face Fulham in the quarter-final of the FA Cup having booked their place in the last eight of the Europa League by beating Real Betis on Thursday night.
Ten Hag is hungry for more success having lifted the Carabao Cup - and he has warned his players that they must now meet the standards they have set.
Ten Hag said: “It is a process. You have to set a culture. It is all about standards, values, rules, and I always think partnerships bring people together.”
