Man Utd chiefs ‘ignore Anthony Martial’ as Rasmus Hojlund proposal emerges

Football Digest: Man Utd with work to do after sluggish start

Manchester United bosses have spent time devising a plan for their approach to the starting striker position this season. Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford both featured in the conversation, but Anthony Martial was reportedly overlooked to cast doubt over his future in Erik ten Hag’s first team.

Martial’s dismal injury record has limited him to just 29 Premier League appearances in the past two seasons. United fans are desperate to see him return to the kind of form that led to a 23-goal campaign in 2019/20, although the Frenchman is still a long way off.

An inability to rely on Martial being fit week in, week out prompted United to splash £72million on Hojlund. Rashford has been playing as a central striker while the Dane recovers from a back injury.

Even when Hojlund is fully fit, the Manchester Evening News claim that senior United figures have a proposed a plan that would see him sit out certain games in order for Rashford to start up top.

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The 20-year-old former Atalanta star may therefore have to wait patiently before becoming one of the first names on Ten Hag’s team sheet. Martial, meanwhile, ‘was not worthy of mention in the conversation’.

Such signs aren’t good for the 27-year-old’s hopes of regaining a regular spot in the starting XI. He may have been licking his lips at a potential opportunity in his favoured central role after two underwhelming performances from Rashford to kick off the campaign.

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But Hojlund is recovering well from his injury and could make an appearance against Nottingham Forest this weekend. It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils resort to selling Martial before next week’s transfer deadline.

United need to offload peripheral squad members, before concluding their summer transfer business by signing a goalkeeper and a midfielder. New blood may no longer be required at centre-back amid reports that Johnny Evans is set to sign a one-year deal at Old Trafford.

In the search for Andre Onana’s back-up between the sticks, Altay Bayindir has emerged as the clear front-runner after completing medical checks in Athens earlier this week.

Sofyan Amrabat is Ten Hag’s top midfield target, and the Moroccan is currently training alone at Fiorentina as he waits for the Red Devils to stump up his £26m asking price.

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