Ten Hag heaps praise on two alternative Man United players ahead of Sevilla tie

Erik ten Hag has heaped praise on Marcel Sabitzer and Anthony Martial ahead of the Europa League tie against Sevilla on Thursday evening.

Erik ten Hag‘s Manchester United take on Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-finals as they aim to win their second trophy of the season with a first-leg tie at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Two players who may start against Sevilla and are touted to have a large impact on the remainder of the season are striker Anthony Martial and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.

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Ten Hag has spoken about the two players, who are having a very positive influence in the dressing room, as well as on the field.

The Haaghas explained that he is particularly impressed with Sabitzer’s adaption to Manchester United and Premier League life.

“He’s doing fantastic. He’s adjusted well to Man United and the Premier League. He is a great person and suits the dressing room well,” he said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

“He’s an intelligent player and we’re happy with his role at this moment.”

Speaking on Martial, Ten Hag is wary of bringing the Frenchman back into the starting line-up too early but admits that the striker works very well with the team.

“We don’t have to force things,” he explained. “We are careful. The front line against Everton worked really well.

“I think he is ready to start, but as I said, the front line did very well against Brentford and we picked the same against Everton. The advantage was we could bring Martial back slowly, giving him minutes, but I think already against Everton he was ready to start the game.”

When questioned on why he defends Martial despite the endless injury struggles this season, Ten Hag referenced the impact Martial has had when he has played so far this season.

“The time he needs for a goal is less. When he’s in the team, we play our best football and we have our best results as a team. I defend him because I point to the stats and see how he contributes.”

Erik ten Hag’s praise hints that the pair may start on Thursday evening at Old Trafford, with a busy schedule ahead no doubt forcing rotation in the XI moving forwards.