THE time has come for Anthony Martial to step up to the plate.
With Marcus Rashford out for the next six games, Manchester United need the Frenchman fit and firing.
The fitness bit is the main issue, with the player constantly in and out of the squad with strains, pulls and knocks. Most recently it was a hip problem.
The 27-year-old — who spent the second half of last season on loan at Thursday’s Europa League opponents Sevilla — has seven goals this term from nine starts and a further eight sub appearances.
On Saturday, he grabbed his first goal since February 1 in the 2-0 win over Everton.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has constantly defended the player despite admitting he is ‘fragile’ when it comes to injury.
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But he insists that when he is in the team, United are at their best.
Ten Hag said: “You say I defended him but I just point to the stats. The stats are telling you that the moment he is on the pitch, then the time he needs for a goal is really less than others.
“When he is in the team, I refer to games against Manchester City, against Liverpool when he’s in the team, we play our best football and have our best results as a team.
“I just pointed to the stats and I see how he contributes to this team. He is ready to start a game.”
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Much was expected of Martial after an explosive start to his United career when he joined for £36million from Monaco — a deal that could top £57.6m.
He scored 17 in his first campaign in 2015-16 but since then it has been eight, 11, 12, 23, seven, one and the seven this season.
The single goal last term came as he was farmed out on loan to Sevilla, for whom he scored once in 12 appearances.
Jose Mourinho would have been happy to sell him in the summer of 2018 and the club were prepared to listen to any decent offers at the end of last season.
Now, at a make-or-break moment, he has the chance to cement himself in the club’s history as United strive for a cup treble.
Antony, 23, is another who Ten Hag believes can help fill the goals gap.
The £85.5m Brazilian winger has seven in United colours — four of which have come in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Europa League. Ten Hag said: “Of course, we expect from front-line players that they are not only a threat but also they have effect in the final third. And he has to work on that — but he is a young player.
“You mention he is not scoring in the Premier League but he did score a really important goal against Real Betis after half-time and he did score against Barcelona, the winner, and you can’t say they are not big games. He has scored also in cup games.
“If you can do it in such games you can also do it in Premier League games, so I am not concerned about that.
“But like many more players, we have to have to step up and he has to step up as well and we have to win games together.
“He is still a very young player, he can kill opponents, we have seen on Saturday when the manager of Everton brings on another player at half-time because he is killing the left full-back. He is able to do it but he has to do it every game.”
Ten Hag has been boosted by the Christian Eriksen’s recovery following an ankle injury in January.
Eriksen is expected to team up again with Casemiro in midfield tomorrow — the Brazilian will return to domestic action at Nottingham Forest on Sunday after finishing his four-game ban.
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Ten Hag said: “The balance in the midfield was very good for a long time with Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes. The co-operation between them was very good.”
MAN UTD (likely): De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Sancho, Martial.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
