Manchester Evening News

UNITED V LEICESTER Martial wasn’t fully fit to face Bayern

- By SAMUEL LUCKHURST By ANTHONY JEPSON

JOSE Mourinho omitted Anthony Martial from the United squad against Bayern Munich because he was not match-fit.

The striker started the Reds’ first two pre-season games against Club America in Phoenix and San Jose Earthquake­s in Santa Clara before he left the five-game tour to attend the birth of his son, Swan.

The 22-year-old stayed in Europe and did not report for training at United’s Carrington training complex for more than a week, insisting ‘family comes first’ before he checked in last Thursday.

Mourinho did not list Martial among the injured players for tonight’s Premier League opener against Leicester, but Martial’s agent said in June the Frenchman wants to leave United and the Reds boss was understood to be open to selling him.

However, Martial is now destined to stay at United until at least January.

“He didn’t have a pre-season,” Mourinho said. “Three days of pre-season. “He’s in the group of players who didn’t have a pre-season, it’s as simple as that.

“For nine days he didn’t train. So he’s to start again.

“He did the first three or four days of training and first couple of matches against the American teams where he played 40 or 50 minutes.

“When you are nine days without one minute of training or football, you go back and start with the other people.” JOSE Mourinho has been a picture of pantomime grumpiness throughout what he has deemed an unsatisfac­tory transfer window.

Add injury concerns and the late return of his World Cup contingent to the club’s failure to land a senior centre-back and it’s easy to paint to United boss as a figure of doom and gloom.

He offered a more bullish presence ahead of tonight’s first Premier League match of the season with Leicester at Old Trafford.

And his take on Alexis Sanchez’s state offered a welcome glimpse of positivity after what has been a worrying buildup to the campaign for most United fans. The Chilean struggled to assert himself following his mid-season arrival from Arsenal, finding it difficult, by his own admission, to gel at United. His country’s absence from the World Cup means he is among the best prepared of the United players going into tonight’s game. He looked sharp as he got minutes under his belt during the tour of the US, which most of United’s senior men missed. And Mourinho was upbeat Jose Mourinho about a player in whom he has shown unwavering faith ahead of the Leicester clash.

“There are no miracles. The players with a proper preseason, they are fit and they are strong,” he said.

“For example, Alexis has played lots of matches and lots of minutes, he is more than ready.”

Sanchez appears rejuvenate­d and eager to prove he can again hit the heights he did when he was a match-winner for Arsenal.

“I think when you go to a new club in the middle of a season it’s always hard,” said the striker.

“In the five or six months that I’ve been here, it was all about learning, new training methods, working with a new coach and getting to know my team-mates.

“I want to now show everyone what I know I can do and what I’m capable of and bring something to the team and performing for my team-mates.”

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