Manchester United’s Anthony Martial will be sidelined until April after undergoing successful surgery to address a groin injury, the club reported.
The 28-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, has struggled this season, scoring only two goals in 19 appearances. Martial has not featured for manager Erik ten Hag’s team since his substitution was met with cheers from fans during the 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth on December 9. The club stated that Martial’s recovery period could last approximately 10 weeks and expressed their well wishes for his quick return.
Martial, who initially showed promise when he joined from Monaco in 2015, has experienced a decline in his career at Old Trafford, registering 90 goals in 317 appearances across all competitions.
With Martial unavailable, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford are the remaining central striking options in Ten Hag’s squad. Should the manager seek to bolster the forward line during the January transfer window, he will require approval from Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to assume authority over football operations as part of his minority ownership of United.