Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been ordered to train on his own by Erik ten Hag

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has once again showcased his hardline approach by ordering a first-team player to train on his own.

Back in November, it was reported that members of Ten Hag's coaching staff wanted the former Ajax boss to adopt a 'softer approach' given the tensions within the squad.

A month earlier, Jadon Sancho spent a number of weeks training on his own after a public fallout with Ten Hag, who dropped the winger from his matchday squad against Arsenal for poor training performances.

The 53-year-old has, however, continued to rule with an iron fist.

In fact, a recent report from The Mail suggests he is once again making his intentions clear when it comes to maintaining standards on the training ground.

Anthony Martial, who has struggled for consistency throughout his eight-year spell in Manchester, has been 'ordered' to train on his own because he is currently not deemed to be fit enough to work with the first-team group.

Ten Hag's decision is not a disciplinary matter, with individual training for players returning from an injury being standard practice at United.

But the amount of time it has taken for the French striker to improve his fitness levels has 'raised eyebrows', according to the report.

Martial, who last played for the Reds on December 9 in a Premier League clash against Bournemouth, picked up a sickness bug last month and has not trained with the first-team squad since.

We know Ten Hag has high standards when it comes to work-rate, and Martial has clearly struggled to hit those heights since returning.

Last month, Marcus Rashford missed United's Champions League clash against Bayern Munich after suffering from the vomiting and diarrhoea bug norovirus but he returned to action soon after.

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Unless the Premier League side receive a suitable bid in January, it looks like Martial will leave Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer.

He has recently been linked with moves to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, who have a long-standing interest in the player.

Many have been disappointed by Martial's overall contribution since arriving from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in 2015, including former United defender Rio Ferdinand.

Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “I know for a fact that when Erik ten Hag's coaching staff went in there and saw Martial up close and personal, they were like ‘we can see why every manager rates him’. Because his ability is world class but he can't put it together.”

He added: "Anthony Martial is so talented but he has to deliver consistently, that is what Man Utd No 9s do. They don't have days off. That is his problem, whether it is fitness or form, he falls off. It is so disappointing and frustrating because he has crazy ability.”