Anthony Martial appears to have already played his final match while wearing a Manchester United jersey.
Given his history of injuries at Old Trafford, that statement ought to be painfully evident, but Erik ten Hag has other ideas.
Before the match, the manager had made a hint to the media that Martial would be available, and supporters were conjuring up imaginary scenarios in which his farewell match could deliver the same excitement as his debut.
But it appears that his time at United is about to come to an end. According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Martial was not spotted travelling with the team for the championship.
https://x.com/samuelluckhurst/status/1794042719989297476
The squad left for London today for the game tomorrow and the travelling party members will provide further clarity on who’s available.
With the exception of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Tyrell Malacia for the match, United anticipated having almost the entire quota.
But, since Martial has already been ruled out, there may possibly be more late withdrawals. Victor Lindelof and Mason Mount, in particular, are just getting back from injuries, and while he was seen practicing, he probably won’t have a significant impact.
Ten Hag has acknowledged that he now faces the “luxury” of having players to select from for the game. He claimed that although United played a competitive game in the league at the Etihad Stadium, City’s depth on the bench was the key.
United will have that now and even though Martial looks like he will be ruled out, it arguably won’t make much of a difference.
The Frenchman’s last game for the club was way back in December against Bournemouth and in his absence, the attack has also started to click somewhat.
