The rumour mills are going into overdrive regarding wantaway winger Anthony Martial after the Frenchman was left out of Manchester United’s matchday squad for their Premier League clash with Watford by manager Jose Mourinho on Sunday.
Here it is – our final starting XI of the 2017/18 @PremierLeague season! #MUFC #MUNWAT pic.twitter.com/PvLU3Ahnp8
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 13, 2018
Martial was due to start the Premier League’s final fixture of the season as the Portuguese tactician himself had stated and while the reason behind his absence is an injury suffered in training, fans aren’t having it.
The 22-year-old was on the peripheries of Mourinho’s squad last season and at the beginning of the current campaign, the signs were bright as he looked to have won a place in the starting XI.
However, United went and bought Alexis Sanchez in January and with the Chilean virtually undroppable, Martial’s playing time nosedived.
He last started for United in a 1-0 away loss against Brighton and Hove Albion , with regular striker Romelu Lukaku injured, but failed to impress.
Martial wasn’t the only underperforming striker as Marcus Rashford also came under stinging criticism for his sub-par display against the Seagulls.
Mourinho blasted his players and while he didn’t name Rashford and Martial, it was pretty obvious that the Portuguese wasn’t impressed with the duo’s displays at the Amex Stadium.
While Martial’s quality is undeniable, his manager reportedly is unhappy with his work-rate, something which the likes of Jesse Lingard and Alexis Sanchez have in abundance.
The Portuguese tactician isn’t one to throw caution to the wind and hence, has hesitated from playing too many flair players together as United have emerged into a functional unit that make heavy weather of most games.
The Red Devils have one final game after their tie against the Hornets, the FA Cup final against Chelsea on May 19, but the stakes are surely too high for Mourinho to give Martial another chance.
It is highly likely that the mercurial 22-year-old has played his final game for the Red Devils.