Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, has expressed his belief that the team performs at its best when Anthony Martial is on the pitch. The 27-year-old striker has been hampered by injuries this season, but returned to score against Everton on Saturday. Ten Hag believes Martial is ready to start against Sevilla in the Europa League on Thursday.
The manager pointed to statistics which show that when Martial is in the team, the time it takes for him to score a goal is significantly less than other players. He also noted that United have had their best results when Martial has been in the team, citing the games against Man City and Liverpool as examples.
Ten Hag said that Martial was ready to start against Everton, but that there was an advantage to bringing him back slowly and giving him minutes. He also warned that United need to be fully prepared and focused for the game against Sevilla, who have a ‘big reputation’ for winning the Europa League. They have won the competition a record six times and beat United in the semi-finals on their way to their most recent success in 2020.
Despite their current struggles in La Liga, Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side are still a formidable opponent and Ten Hag is aware of this. He stressed that if United want to beat them, they must play their best football and everyone must deliver their best performance. It is clear that Martial’s presence will be crucial if United are to succeed in the Europa League.