Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has told Anthony Martial to prove himself in FA Cup action this weekend in order to force his way back into the team.
The French international was dropped from the United squad for recent games against Stoke City in the Premier League and then for the EFL Cup clash with Hull City in midweek.
In turn, Sky Sports noted that his long-term future at Old Trafford is in doubt, as he has struggled to not only replicate the form that he showed last season, but also to impress Mourinho and earn his trust to keep his place in the starting line-up.
With the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to name but a few ahead of Martial in the pecking order now, it looks like a difficult route for the Frenchman to win his place back.
While he will get the first opportunity to do so against Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday, Mourinho has added a word of warning for the 21-year-old.
“He will play Sunday and if Sunday he plays magnificent, he will play against Hull City the next match. It’s simple,” he told the media at his press conference on Friday.
That’s hardly the kind of assurance that Martial will have been looking for, and now the spotlight will very much be on him to see how he performs against the Championship side.
Another poor display, and it could spell trouble for him and his future at the club as he may have to settle for a spot on the bench thereafter. If he responds in a positive manner and plays to the best of his ability, then perhaps he will start to win Mourinho over and the pair can continue to work together to bring success to Old Trafford this season.