Have regularly played injured over last two seasons but people don’t know, admits Anthony Martial

Despite his struggles to find the net over the last few years for Manchester United, Anthony Martial enjoyed a period where he was thriving for the Red Devils. That was during the 2019/20 season as the Frenchman did very well in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full-term at the club, netting 23 goals and 12 assists in the process. However, his form dipped almost alarmingly the very next season as Martial finished with just 7 goals and 9 assists across all competitions.

“The last two seasons, I have regularly played injured. People don’t know that I couldn’t accelerate during the four months following the Covid season. Solskjaer tells me that he needs me, so I play. Given my game, if I can’t accelerate, it becomes very complicated. And I get criticized — the coach never bothered to tell the media,” Martial said, reported the Athletic.

Martial signed for the Old Trafford side in the summer of 2015, enjoying a superb debut term under then-manager Louis van Gaal. However, the Dutchman was sacked and replaced by Jose Mourinho at the end of the season and the Frenchman’s relationship with the Portuguese boss was never great. It saw Martial confess that it all started with the change of his number from 9 to 11, which Mourinho forced upon him, and was further exacerbated by the fact that United signed Alexis Sanchez.

“It started with the story of the shirt number. During the holidays, he sends me a message to ask me if I want to take 11, explaining to me that it’s great because it was worn by the legend, Ryan Giggs. I tell him that I have the greatest respect for Giggs, but that I prefer to keep my number nine. When I return to the club, I see my jersey with the number 11, the story did not start well! He disrespected me, straight up.