Jose Mourinho Reveals Why He Doesn't Always Start Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial was having a blast against Watford on Tuesday night but even a goal and two assists didn't stop him from being substituted in the second half. Now Jose Mourinho has revealed why he isn't on the pitch more often.

Last season Anthony Martial scored nine goals for club and country and was far from a guaranteed starter for Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, with some even believing he could be sold in the summer.

How quickly things turn around and already this season the Frenchman has matched his tally from 2016/17 and it isn't even December yet. A goal and two assists last night helped the Red Devils to a 4-2 win over Watford.

_{Martial scored United's third after Ashley Young's double. Image: PA Images.}

But the 21 year old has still only started six Premier League games this term, coming off the bench in another seven, often rotating with Marcus Rashford. Most people believe that the former Monaco man should be playing more often.

But speaking in his post match press conference, after the Watford game, Mourinho explained continued concerns over Martial's fitness stop him playing every week:

"I think he suffers a little bit with an accumulation of matches. I could feel that in the second half he was going down and down and down."

"He's still a young guy and his body, his biological situation has space to improve but in the first half, during the time, he had strength and explosion in his legs. He was dangerous and [scored] an important goal."

_{This has often been the situation this season, sometimes with the roles reversed. Image: PA Images.}

In essence having two young strikers who are still developing means that Mourinho has to make sure they both stay fresh.

On top of that the former Chelsea manager has seemed slightly reticent to start both of them in the same team and against Newcastle recently that didn't work until they changed from a 4-2-3-1 system to 4-4-2.

_{United's two young forwards. Image: PA Images}

Rashford has also bagged himself eight goals this season and the rotation does seem to be working in all fairness to Mourinho.

During the transfer window the potential arrival of Inter Milan's Ivan Perisic seemed ominous for the pair but now they both look almost undroppable, which is exactly why one of them keeps getting dropped!

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Topics: Anthony Martial, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United, Premier League, Marcus Rashford, Fans

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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