Man Utd striker crisis worsens as Anthony Martial is ‘ruled out for ten weeks with groin injury’

ANTHONY MARTIAL’S Manchester United career looks to be over after he was ruled out for ten weeks.

The French forward has had surgery on a groin complaint and will now undergo a long period of rest and rehabilitation.

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Anthony Martial has scored just one goal this season[/caption]

His contract is up at the end of the season and there is no desire on the club’s part to trigger an option to extend it by a further 12 months.

He has made just five Premier League starts this season and missed the last five games with illness.

The club had high hopes for the Frenchman when he joined from Monaco for £36million as a 19-year-old.

It was the most paid for a teenager at the time and add-on clauses have since raised that fee to £44.7million.

Manager at the time, Louis van Gaal said the club had landed the best player in the world for his age.

He had a decent first season scoring 17 goals and hit career best figures of 23 in 2019-20.

Form and fitness have made for rather depressing reading over the last three-and-a-half seasons scoring 19 goals for United in all that time.

A loan spell at Sevilla in 2021-22 did not have the desired affect with him sent packing back to Manchester after scoring just one goal in 12 appearances for the Spanish club.

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Manager Erik ten Hag has tried to defend the player claiming United always play better when he is on the pitch.

The evidence suggested otherwise and fans began to cheer him being hooked and boo when he came on to replace the likes of Rasmus Hojlund.

In truth Martial, 28, has cut a surly disinterested figure for some time around United.

Another happy to hide behind the current malaise and pressure on the current incumbent of the manager’s hot seat.

Plans for him to enjoy a lap of honour and farewell at the end of the season are not thought to be under consideration.

United have struggled for goals this season, finding the net just 24 times in the Premier League to make them the lowest scorers in the top ten.

Martial has managed to score just once in 13 Prem outings this season, but he is not the only United star that has been wasteful in front of goal.

Marcus Rashford has four in 20 Prem appearances, while £72million summer signing Rasmus Hojlund has two in 16 league outings.

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