Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has endured a dismal campaign throughout his time at the club, particularly over the past three seasons. Faced with a persistent string of injuries and intermittent skepticism about his clinical effectiveness upfront, questions arise regarding his place in the squad.
Meanwhile, the club had asked the forward to consider offers for a loan or permanent move in the January window. But he refused, insisting on staying until his contract expires this summer. However, following this refusal, the Frenchman has now been expelled from first-team training by the manager.
Anthony Martial axed from Manchester United training
Anthony Martial’s last appearance was against Bournemouth in a 3-0 defeat on December 9, 2023, and since then, he has been sidelined due to an unspecified illness. The striker’s injury-prone condition has rendered him surplus in the squad, and earlier, he had an on-pitch altercation with Erik Ten Hag.
The Dutch boss has summoned the 28-year-old to train alone, away from the first-team training. Amidst the lack of match fitness, the Frenchman is on the path to recovery, aiming to regain fitness post-illness. Thus, he has been ruled out as unfit for main team operations.
It is also believed the decision is not based on disciplinary matters, as was the case with Jadon Sancho, who faced a similar situation after falling out with the boss and was expelled from the first team and forced to train alone. Thankfully, in Martial’s case, it is rather based on fitness measures.
Reportedly, the forward is required to enhance his fitness to align with fellow teammates and participate in high-intensity training. Due to being deemed unfit, individual training is customary at Carrington, particularly for players returning from injury. Other absentees, such as Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro, have adopted a similar regimen.
Anthony Martial injury history
Anthony Martial joined Manchester United from the French club Monaco in 2015 as a promising talent but, unfortunately, failed to make any significant impact at Old Trafford during his extended spell. Currently, in the final phase of his contract, Martial is on the verge of parting ways in the summer.
The forward encountered a string of injuries, causing him to miss 18 matches for the club in 2023.
Meanwhile, this season, he did manage to achieve regular fitness, making 19 appearances in all competitions. However, an illness in December halted his campaign, leaving him struggling to find his way back onto the pitch.
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