Erik ten Hag insists Wout Weghorst is proving a valuable asset for Manchester United, especially in the wake of Anthony Martial’s latest injury calamity.
The French striker is unavailable again for Wednesday’s meeting with Leeds due to a hip problem, joining injured pair Antony and Scott McTominay, plus the suspended Casemiro, on the sidelines.
The last time Martial completed 90 minutes in the league for United, there were not even fans in attendance – a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield United in January 2021 during Covid times.
And Ten Hag admits the wide range of injuries that Martial has suffered have been a frustration, especially given the promise that has seen him score six goals this season.
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“He was never 100 per cent this season but he had a big impact every time he is available, even when he is at 80, 85, 90 percent.
“So we do everything and Anthony Martial is doing done everything. I think Anthony Martial is the player who has spent the most hours at Carrington (training ground) this season, to return to recover, to get back.
“It is really so a pity for him that he is disappointed. He is not always available and we want him to be always available because that will improve our game and because routines can’t become routines when you are not always available.”
Why Man Utd vs Leeds isn’t on TV
Manchester United’s home match with Leeds was originally scheduled for September but was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The original fixture was not selected to be broadcast in the UK, meaning the rearranged game cannot be shown despite being the only Premier League match taking place on Wednesday night.
Sunday’s match at Elland Road will be live on Sky Sports, kicking off at 2pm UK time.
It is the first time for 56 years where Manchester United have played back-to-back league games against the same opponent in a single campaign.
In Martial’s absence, on-loan Dutch striker Weghorst has become an integral part of Ten Hag’s team.
And despite some external reservations about the target man’s playing style – and just one goal in six games – Ten Hag insists he has proved a success.
“Especially for strikers, most of the time, it takes time,” he said.
“At the start of the season, we discussed it often with Marcus Rashford and, every time, I say it will come, we have to work on routines, the team around has to act better.
“But I see his potential, the same I see with Wout, he will score. But in the meantime, do the other stuff, do it good.
“It is about not scoring individually, but scoring from the team and the team has to win. He is doing a very good job at this moment in several aspects of football.
“I think in many scenarios I can see we can be very good with Wout and in other scenarios to be better with Martial.
“But Martial has some capabilities he adds, he has some skills, he can be more variable but what is definitely the case is Wout Weghorst is doing a real good job for us in pressing.”
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“He’s good,” said Ten Hag. “We have seen last week he came in and did really well.”
Casemiro begins a three-game ban after his weekend sending off against Crystal Palace, with Ten Hag likely to opt for Fred and on-loan Marcel Sabitzer, who could be in line for a full debut for the club.
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