Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has confirmed that Anthony Martial is still considered a crucial part of the team’s plans for the upcoming season, even as the club continues its search for a new striker.
Martial had a challenging 2022/23 season with the Red Devils, where he managed to score nine goals and provide three assists. However, he faced significant setbacks due to injuries, missing a total of 29 games.
After recovering from a hamstring injury, Martial has now returned to team training. Ten Hag acknowledged the importance of having a fit striker in the squad for achieving success and winning trophies.
Despite the ongoing pursuit of a new striker, the French star remains in the manager’s plans for the team moving forward. As revealed by the club’s official website, he said:
“Today he was in the team training, so that is really hopeful. And, yeah, of course, when you have a player in a squad you expect that he is available and then the players have to take the responsibility to be available.”
“We need a good squad and Anthony Martial is a brilliant football player and so he will help us. He scored goals and also in other areas of football like pressing, in possession, combinations, he’s a great player and, yeah, let’s hope he will be fit and he stays fit.”
Last season, Martial was given the opportunity to establish himself as the number nine for United. He showed promise during pre-season, but unfortunately, he sustained an injury during the penultimate friendly match against Atletico.
Despite the setbacks, the 27-year-old made a comeback in August and provided an assist in the team’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool. However, he suffered from recurring injuries throughout the entire campaign.
Now, manager Erik ten Hag is taking a cautious approach with Martial. Although the player returned to full training recently, the manager is determined not to rush him back into action until he is fully confident in his fitness.
Martial’s playing time will be carefully managed to ensure he is fully fit before featuring in matches again.
In recent friendlies, Jadon Sancho has been given a chance to play in the false nine positions, and if he continues to impress, this role could become a permanent one for him.
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However, despite this experimentation, United are still determined to sign a new striker who would be assured of a starting role.
The club’s primary target for this position is Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund. Nonetheless, United are not willing to overspend or pay more than what they believe is reasonable for the player’s transfer fee.
