- Martial fiercely criticised by ex-United player Parker
- Former defender said Frenchman has low pain tolerance
- And he said the striker doesn't fit Ten Hag's style
WHAT HAPPENED? Anthony Martial should not play another game for Manchester United, according to former Red Devils' right-back Paul Parker. Parker, who played for United for five years under Sir Alex Ferguson, criticised Martial's tendency to get injured and said he does not fit into the way Erik ten Hag wants to play.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I don’t think that we will ever see Martial playing for Man United again. I don’t think Erik ten Hag is that concerned about it because Martial doesn’t fit into his way of playing," Parker told Bettors. "Also, he doesn’t deserve to play again for Man Utd. He hasn’t taken his chances and he is showing no consistency at all."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Martial has made only nine starts this season in all competitions due to his struggles with fitness, although he has still managed to score six goals. He netted in his last outing against Nottingham Forest on February 1 but has not featured in the nine matches since then due to a hip injury. However, he returned to training on Wednesday and could potentially make his comeback to the first team soon.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Martial, who joined United from Monaco in 2015 for a fee totalling around £50 million ($59m), has one-and-a-half years left on his contract with the club. And Parker expects him to follow Cristiano Ronaldo and out the door.
"He has never enjoyed his time at Man Utd and now he has to move on," he added. “If you look at the way ten Hag has been with certain players… Look at [Jesse] Lingard, look at [Paul] Pogba, look at Ronaldo, Martial is going to go. He’s not the player he once was. Erik ten Hag wants players that he hasn’t got to ask to work hard."
Next Match
IN THREE PHOTOS:
GettyGetty ImagesGetty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ANTHONY MARTIAL? The Frenchman has been ruled out of Thursday's Europa League clash with Real Betis but there is a chance he could feature in Sunday's Premier League match against Southampton.