Anthony Martial could be the unlikely beneficiary from Man Utd’s latest injury scare.
Manchester United took a risk when they gambled on Rasmus Hojlund in the summer transfer window. It is still not clear if it is one that will pay off.
Hojlund has shown glimpses of the raw talent that could one day see him become a world-class forward, yet there have also been reminders of how unpolished he is.. He has enormous potential, but it is only that word, ‘potential.’
In order to fulfil it, he needs to be carefully nurtured and managed properly. There is always the risk that overplaying him could lead to injury or burden him with pressure that he simply can’t live up to.
So far, it has been predictable. Hojlund has been excellent in some matches and anonymous in others. It’s what you’d expect from a 20-year-old striker new to the Premier League, but he is being judged on a price tag, goal return and level of consistency he was never going to be able to fulfil so early into his career.
United’s issue isn’t with the player they signed, but with the lack of support he has been given. In an ideal world, he would have been signed alongside another more experienced option in attack; instead, he is the one being tasked with leading it every week.
That dilemma could become even more apparent when United next take to the field following the international break. Hojlund should be back by the end of the month after suffering a muscle strain in victory over Luton, though he might not be fully fit for the trip to face Everton on November 26.
United will already be without the suspended Marcus Rashford for their must-win clash with Galatasaray three days later, so there would be little sense in risking Hojlund against Everton unless they absolutely had to.
It means Erik ten Hag might need to find an attacking alternative at Goodison Park and it could mean another lifeline for Anthony Martial.
The Frenchman has been largely out of favour since Ten Hag arrived at the club and wasted his best opportunity of impressing the manager with an underwhelming campaign last year.
While it is clear that Martial has a lot of talent, he has been deemed unreliable for both his strike rate and availability, and he is quite clearly not a striker that can be relied upon at such a level anymore.
Yet, as a backup option, there is still potentially a role to be played. He has scored as many goals as Marcus Rashford this season (one) despite playing three times fewer minutes and he has largely had to do his work from the bench rather than from starts.
Ten Hag was quick to point out last week that it would only take one match for Rashford to rediscover his confidence in front of goal and embark on a purple patch and it would be hypocritical not to afford Martial the same lenience.
Given Ten Hag’s continued backing of him, Rashford would still be the leading candidate to replace Hojlund as a centre-forward against Everton, though there has been little evidence this season to endorse that approach.
Whatever happens should shed fresh light on the future of Martial as he approaches the end of his United contract, with an unlikely resurgence required if he is to have any chance of extending his stay beyond next summer.
United have the option of extending his stay by an additional year if they want to protect his market value, but under their new sporting structure led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, they could decide to let him leave for free amid concerns about actually finding a buyer.
If he can’t even get a start at Everton when Hojlund is rested, then Martial will have no further illusions about where his future lies. Get an opportunity and take it, and he might have one final chance to put things right. Not that he should.
