Erik ten Hag delivers latest Jadon Sancho & Anthony Martial fitness updates
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that both Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial will return to the squad for Wednesday night’s game against Nottingham Forest.
United hold a 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final as they chase a first trophy in six years, with the opportunity to bring certain players back in.
Ten Hag confirmed to club media ahead of pre-match press conference that United still have ‘some issues’ regarding fitness before the game. But Sancho and Martial are not among them.
“I think that Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho will return in the game squad, but Scott McTominay will still be absent” the United boss explained.
“I think also the next game [against Crystal Palace] he will be absent. We have to see how that process will go. And for the rest, I think everyone is fit.”
Sancho hasn’t played for United since being substituted 52 minutes into a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on 22 October. He was initially ruled out through illness immediately prior to the World Cup break but was then not part of the squad’s training camp in Spain in December.
Ten Hag explained at the time that the £73m signing was ‘not fit enough’ to be included, suggesting that Sancho had also been struggling mentally. He was placed on an individual programme to improve his fitness and rejoined his teammates in first-team training two weeks ago.
Sancho was still building up his fitness last week for the first leg against Forest and missed out then.
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Martial is also ready to return and could make his first appearance since injury problem. Ten Hag has been a big supporter of the Frenchman this season, but a myriad of fitness issues have limited him to only 13 appearances in all competitions and no action at all since coming off at half-time in the victorious Manchester derby two and a half weeks ago.
With Cristiano Ronaldo gone, United have signed Wout Weghorst as additional cover up front and the towering Dutchman has impressed in his early games for the club while Martial has been out.
“He is integrating really well. He is doing what I am expecting him to do. The more he plays, the more it will come,” Ten Hag said of his compatriot at Tuesday’s press conference.