Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained that an injury picked up in training is the reason why Anthony Martial was left out of the Manchester United team to face Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday night.
United take on the Clarets at Old Trafford looking to make it nine wins out of nine under interim boss Solskjaer. However, they will have to do so without Martial, who has picked up an injury.
Anthony Martial out through injury tonight. Chris Smalling on the #MUFC bench after seven weeks out with a foot injury
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) January 29, 2019
Speaking before the game, Solskjaer revealed the reason for the French forward's absence, without specifying the nature of the injury.
He said (via the club's official app): "He [Martial] got a slight injury in training but hopefully he'll be back for next weekend.
"There was no chance he could play today so it was easy enough to put Romelu [Lukaku] on the pitch."
Martial's absence was one of five changes in Solskjaer's lineup for the visit of Burnley, including a start for Andreas Pereira, while Chris Smalling returns from injury to make the bench.
Following the clash with Burnley, United travel to Leicester on Sunday, when Martial should return to action.
The French star scored in United's FA Cup fourth round win over Arsenal last Friday night and has ten goals for the season.
Martial is also statistically the most efficient striker in the Premier League this season, topping a list of the division's most clinical forwards by shots to goals ratio. Ahead of gameweek 24, the former Monaco man places ahead Glenn Murray and Raheem Sterling with an impressive 40% shots to goals conversion rate.
Source : 90min