ERIK TEN HAG has reportedly exiled Anthony Martial from Manchester United’s first-team training and told him to improve his fitness.
The French striker picked up a sickness bug last month and last played in the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on December 9.
APAnthony Martial has been training away from Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd’s first-team[/caption]
Now the Daily Mail states that he has not trained with his team-mates since then with Ten Hag believed to be desperate to sell him before the January transfer window closes.
This update states that United’s Dutch boss has told him that he will not consider picking him again until his fitness improves.
Ten Hag has been quizzed over Martial’s absence numerous times over recent weeks, but he has remained tight-lipped on the 28-year-old.
He would only say that the ex-Monaco ace was not fit ahead of Sunday’s draw with Tottenham – but now it has been claimed that he is not suffering from injury.
Instead, Martial is “yet to regain sufficient fitness” following last month’s sickness.
The decision to make Martial train on his own was not reportedly a disciplinary matter but does reflect Ten Hag’s “belief in individual training for players lacking match fitness”.
He has not been deemed fit enough to work with the rest of the first-team and meet “intensity and work-rate the manager demands” in training.
Several players, including Marcus Rashford, were hit by a sickness bug in December.
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And the individual training while returning from an absence has become a standard practice by Ten Hag at United.
However, this report claims that “the length of time it is taking Martial to regain fitness has raised eyebrows” at the club.
Martial will become a free agent in June although Ten Hag stunned fans recently by claiming that United were in talks with the forward over a new deal despite years of sub-standard displays.
But, contrary to the manager’s remarks, it is widely-believed that the Red Devils want to sell him this month after nine years at Old Trafford.
Martial has scored just 12 Premier League goals over the past three-and-a-half seasons – including one this term- and it seems that United have finally run out of patience with him.
They want to sell him this January and recoup some money rather than let him leave for nothing in the summer.
Although it has been claimed that Martial is planning to see out his deal at United having snubbed a move to Fenerbahce.
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