- Martial has undergone successful surgery to address a groin complaint
- United have confirmed he will be out for ten weeks as he continues his rehabilitation
- Come home, Harry! Bayern are struggling and Kane may be jealous of what Spurs are doing It all starts
Anthony Martial has been ruled out for ten weeks after groin surgery as his Manchester United career continues to falter.
The news that Martial will be absent until early April means manager Erik ten Hag will be short of firepower in the second half of the season, with United unlikely to sign a replacement in the January transfer window.
It also puts a question mark over whether Martial, 28, will play for the club again as he prepares to leave Old Trafford in the summer.
United will not renew his £250,000-a-week contract, meaning the Frenchman could leave as a free agent for nine years after signing for Monaco in a transfer that made him the most expensive teenager in world football.
Martial cost £36 million, but the deal was worth a whopping £58 million including add-ons. The erratic striker, who was loaned to Sevilla two years ago, scored 90 goals in 317 games in an injury-marred United career.
Anthony Martial will miss ten weeks of action after undergoing surgery to fix a groin problem
Martial could have played his last game for the club when his contract expires this summer
United now face a late battle to land a striker before the January window closes
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Mail Sport revealed last week that Martial was training on his own to regain fitness after being absent due to illness since early December, and his agent Philippe Lamboley confirmed he had a groin problem that required surgery.
A statement from United said on Wednesday: ‘Anthony Martial has undergone successful surgery to address a groin complaint and will be out of action for approximately ten weeks as he continues his rehabilitation.’
It leaves United with just one recognized striker in Rasmus Hojlund. The club loaned out Wout Weghorst and Odion Ighalo in January but do not expect to bring in a replacement for Martial due to Financial Fair Play restrictions on their budget.
Sources have not completely ruled out a new signing but continue to dismiss speculation linking the club with former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, who managed Saudi club Al-Ittihad, Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Ajax- striker Brian Brobbey wants to leave.