Anthony Martial 'ordered to train away from Man Utd squad' over fitness concerns
- Anthony Martial has been out of Man Utd's squad since December
- Erik ten Hag has revealed little about the Frenchman's condition
- A sickness bug has plagued the squad recently
By Tom Gott
Anthony Martial is training away from the rest of the Manchester United squad amid concerns over his fitness level, according to a report.
Martial has not played for United since the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on 9 December after coming down with a sickness bug that has plagued the Old Trafford dressing room in recent weeks.
While others who have been unwell have since returned, Martial's absence has remained a mystery and manager Erik ten Hag has offered very few details about his condition.
According to the Daily Mail, Martial is back at Carrington but has failed to rebuild his fitness after his spell on the sidelines and has therefore been sent to train away from the main group.
Importantly, being ordered away from first-team training is not a punishment for Martial, whose physical condition is simply not deemed strong enough to keep up with Ten Hag's intense demands in normal training sessions with the rest of the squad.
Ten Hag often sends unfit players away from the first-team and they usually return shortly after, but Martial's absence from the group is said to be causing concern at Carrington.
It is not clear just how long Martial has been working away from Ten Hag's main squad, but to have been unavailable for over a month has left fans wondering what is going on with the 28-year-old.
Martial's United contract is due to expire at the end of the season and it was initially thought that the striker would be allowed to walk away at the end of the campaign, despite United holding a 12-month extension clause. However, Ten Hag recently admitted club officials are at least in talks with Martial about his future, leaving the door open to a possible extension.
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