Manchester United will be without the services of forward Anthony Martial for the highly anticipated FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday. The French international sustained a hamstring injury during their 2-1 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford last Sunday.
Club sources confirmed on Tuesday that subsequent tests revealed a muscle tear, ruling the 27-year-old out of the final clash. A win in the final would secure a domestic double for Manchester United, who already lifted the League Cup in February.
In addition to the stakes of claiming the domestic double, a victory for United would also prevent their city rivals from matching the historic Treble achieved by Sir Alex Ferguson’s United side in 1999. Manchester City, who are the current Premier League champions, will also compete in the Champions League final next month.
Martial’s absence adds to United’s list of injury concerns this season. Despite the setbacks, the forward managed to contribute six goals and two assists in 21 Premier League matches.
There were also initial worries regarding winger Antony, who was stretchered off in tears during the 4-1 triumph over Chelsea. However, manager Erik ten Hag expressed optimism on Sunday, stating that the 23-year-old Brazilian is likely to recover from his ankle injury in time for the final on Saturday.
