18 January 2024 , 09:17
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Anthony Martial is training away from the rest of his Manchester United teammates after being assigned an individual regime.
Recent reports claimed that the French striker had been intentionally exiled from the rest of the first team by boss Erik ten Hag as some sort of punishment, but that is not the case. Martial has been out of action since mid-December due to an unspecified illness and the manager has decided to take action.
Ten Hag has placed Martial on a separate training programme from the rest of his United colleagues, though this is not something that is deemed unusual within the Red Devils camp. A number of the current crop have also been placed on similar programmes during their time at the club, including Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Mason Mount.
Martial's situation is not at all comparable to the one Jadon Sancho found himself in for the first half of this season, where the England international had been intentionally left out of the fold after falling out with Ten Hag. The 23-year-old now finds himself out on loan with Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the current campaign.
Speculation over Martial's future remains rife, with the former Monaco man out of contract come the end of this term. United do boast the option to extend his stay by a further 12 months, but it is unclear as to whether they will do so.
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When asked whether United were planning on extending Martial's deal, Ten Hag offered up a rather cryptic response as he replied: "I think that is an internal discussion between the club and the player." That led some to believe the striker could be sticking around, but subsequent reports have claimed that is not the case.
Martial is firm in his stance that he wants to finish the season at United before seeking a new challenge in the summer. Despite an underwhelming campaign thus far, the 28-year-old is still attracting interest.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Martial play his football next season? Comment below
Anthony Martial is currently not training with his Man United teammates (Ash Donelon/Manchester United FC)Marseille, Turkish outfit Fenerbahce and Saudi Pro League teams have all been keeping tabs on Martial's situation. Just what is the most attractive proposal in the eyes of the United forward is unclear at this stage.
For all of the hype that greeted Martial's arrival at Old Trafford back in 2015, when he was made the most expensive teenager in football history at the time, he has undeniably failed to make the grade over his nine years at the club.
The forward has failed to score more than six league goals in a season since the 2019/20 campaign. Martial's constant fitness issues mean he is also someone that United haven't been able to rely on regularly.