Anthony Martial has denied that he refused to play for Manchester United.
United boss Ralf Rangnick alleged Martial chose not to be on the substitutes bench against Aston Villa and did not travel with the squad.
Speaking to MUTV about Martial, Rangnick said: “He [Martial] didn’t want to be in the squad, he would have been in the squad normally but he didn’t want to and that was the reason why he didn’t travel with us yesterday.”
The comments sparked an angry rection among supporters, and Martial has now responded to deny the accusations.
Martial is paid a big wage by United and if he did refuse to play, it would be a big insult to the club’s supporters.
There appears to be a big communication breakdown between Rangnick and Martial, and the manager has thrown the player under the bus with his post-game comments.
Martial is likely to leave the club before the transfer window, if the club can find a taker. Martial’s high wages have stopped a deal going through so far.
Martial has not played a single game under Ralf Rangnick or even been on the bench, but he has been training with the first team. On Thursday he seemed in good spirits when he was pictured, above.
Sky Sports report Martial earns £250,000 per week, a salary he agreed when he signed a contract extension in 2019.
Rangnick was speaking after Manchester United’s draw against Aston Villa, in which the side threw away a two-goal lead after a brace from Bruno Fernandes.
- Alex Scott’s contract standoff should not prompt Man Utd mega-bid, Bryan Robson agrees
- Tynan Thompson is already being fast-tracked by Man Utd, Michael Carrick clearly rates him highly
- Marcus Rashford will have a new Man United role involving Tynan Thompson when he returns
- Michael Carrick can hand a legacy-defining debut after wonderkid sighting in latest Man Utd training
- Why Man Utd shouldn’t hesitate on Juventus’ Joshua Zirkzee interest
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
