Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed out from giving a timeline as to when Anthony Martial will return to full fitness.
The Red Devils missed Martial after an injury ruled him out for the club’s Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion.
United lost the game and there is no doubt they missed Martial’s presence in important positions to put the final touch on the chances they created.
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This summer, it was certain that the Frenchman would be on his way out of the club, but after scoring three goals in four pre-season games, Martial looked like he would be critical to Ten Hag’s plans for United.
Martial was supposed to start the game against Brighton, but an injury meant he wasn’t able to feature in time.
This definitely hampered Ten Hag’s initial plans, with Ten Hag then opting for Christian Eriksen as a false nine alongside wingers Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
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Ten Hag spoke after the game and provided an update on Martial in an interview with BBC Sport.
He said, “It's difficult to say [how long].
"With his injury we have to wait until tomorrow for how we will progress, but we have one week [until the next game].”
The Dutchman also spoke about Ronaldo and how this game will impact the Portuguese maestro.
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Speaking about Ronaldo, he added: "This game will help him. He will come with a better fitness level.
"We have one week to go [until the next game] and we will work hard.
"This is not only Cristiano - it's for the whole team that has to work hard, but Cristiano specifically with his fitness level and his integration into the team."
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Speaking about the game overall, Ten Hag said, “It was unnecessary to lose this game.
“I think it was a good start and then after [the first goal] we dropped down a level, dropped down in belief and we made mistakes and the opponent punished us.
“But I think it is a good opponent, they have worked long together and when you make mistakes, you get punished for that against such teams.”
The club’s co-chairman Avram Glazer was attending the game in what can be called a “rare visit” and will definitely have heard “Glazers Out” chants throughout the game, whereas on the pitch, Manchester United showed they are still way behind the top teams in the league.
Featured Image Credit: Manchester UnitedTopics: Manchester United, Anthony Martial, Erik Ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo, Premier League