Manchester United star MISSING from training as Erik ten Hag welcomes two returns

Manchester United have welcomed both Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford back into training after both spent an extended period of time on the sidelines.

The return of both Martinez and Rashford will be welcomed greatly by fans of United, as the club’s FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City looms at the end of this month.

For Rashford, the Englishman has been forced to miss United’s last three Premier League games, sitting on the sidelines as the Red Devils secured just four points from a possible nine against Burnley, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

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As a result of Rashford’s absence, Alejandro Garnacho has returned to the left side of United’s attack, whilst Antony has been welcomed back into the fold, playing off the right to middling returns.

In the case of Martinez, it has been an ongoing battle with several injuries this season. The World Cup-winning centre-back has been forced to miss 36 games through injury this season, playing the least league minutes of any senior Manchester United defender this season.

Arriving from Ajax shortly after current Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2022, Martinez left Ajax as their club player of the season for his final campaign. Upon joining his former manager in Manchester, Martinez’s first season was an irrefutable success, and he stood out as one of United’s best players in their Carabao Cup-winning season.

Cementing himself as an integral part of the Old Trafford dressing room, reports emerged earlier this week in The Guardian that several members of the Red Devils’ coaching staff feel Martinez’s absence both on and off the pitch has hurt the team’s performances.

The staff reportedly noted that in Martinez’s absence, the dressing room was considerably quieter, and his voice as a leader was missing from the squad changing room.

However, it is not all positive news for Ten Hag and his squad, as club captain Bruno Fernandes was noticeably absent from training on Thursday.

Fernandes, who has played the fifteenth most Premier League minutes of any outfielder, was forced to miss a game through injury for the first time in his career on Monday night.

Fernandes, who has been dealing with a broken hand for the last few weeks, was commended by his manager for his dependable nature.

Speaking ahead of the Crystal Palace match, Ten Hag told reporters: “We all know Bruno, never rule him out for any game.”

Despite this, Fernandes was forced to miss the game. In his absence, Casemiro captained the side, marshalling his squad to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.

Looking to return to form with the help of their returning squad members, Manchester United will face Arsenal at Old Trafford this Sunday at 4:30 pm.