Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that the club needs to be careful with Anthony Martial even if has returned to full fitness. The French striker is named on the bench for United’s clash against Omonia.
Martial appeared to be nearing the end of his United career when he joined Sevilla on loan in January following an 18-month stint that produced just eight goals. He had his best season in the year 2019-20 where has contributed with 23 goals.
However, he has not been able to reach that figure in any other season in his long tenure at Old Trafford. A new manager offered the possibility of a fresh start, but his first few weeks of the new season were derailed by hamstring and Achilles injuries.
But Martial showed promising signs in August when he played 45 minutes and provided an assist against Liverpool. Then, over the weekend, he scored twice as a substitute in the Manchester derby, helping to add some respect to the scoreboard.
However, Ten Hag has admitted that he needs to be careful with the 26-year-old since they can’t afford to lose him yet again. While speaking to the club’s official website, he said:
“We are happy he’s back. But we will take it carefully, step by step, in a process to bring him back. He [has] played now almost a half, so 35 minutes, which is good, and now we have to extend that. But [we will do that] from game to game, and we have a lot of games to cover.”
Martial could get the chance to redeem himself this time by staying fit and making use of his chances. The manager has used Marcus Rashford in the French striker’s absence but may now get the option to use the latter.
This striker rotation will help his players in getting enough rest and also help the manager with his tactics. Cristiano Ronaldo’s uncertain future will put more pressure on these strikers to remain fit throughout the season.
