#5 Martial in or out?
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After being left out of the starting lineup for the last two games, Mourinho gave Anthony Martial another chance to prove himself in the fourth round tie. Amid rumours of a possible move to Sevilla on loan, the United boss said Martial would have to be magnificent if he wanted a spot in the league squad in a press conference on Friday.
Martial’s test started out on the wrong note as he barely had any impact on the game as a centre forward. The 21-year-old lost possession repeatedly as he was unable to hold up play and met most deliveries with inaccurate touches. The second half, however, saw him move out to the left as Rooney was pushed up as a striker and the impact of the change was immediate.
With space and defenders to run at on the left wing, the Frenchman got into the thick of things making two assists for his team. He finished off his swift passage on the left flank in the 57th minute with a cross that found Chris Smalling.
His assist for Mkitaryan’s goal came just minutes later as a counter-attack saw Martial set through. Holding up the ball till the Armenian's arrival, the winger applied just the right amount of power to enable a simple tap in for the third goal of the night.
While his participation proved to be crucial against Wigan, only time will tell if it is good enough to earn him a start against Hull City on Wednesday.
