Erik ten Hag explains why Anthony Martial cannot complete 90 minutes for Manchester United

Erik ten Hag insists Anthony Martial is still not fit enough to play 90 minutes for Manchester United.

Martial has not played the full duration of a United match since the League Cup third round defeat to West Ham in September 2021 and he has not completed a Premier League game since the defeat to Sheffield United in January 2021.

The 27-year-old made his first United start since January 14 in the 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first leg draw with Sevilla in what was only Martial's 18th appearance out of a possible 50 games this term.

Also read: Two United players could return at Forest as club wait on Martinez

"Maybe he can but it's a risk and we can't take that risk in this moment," Ten Hag said of the prospect of Martial starting and finishing a match, "because we don't have so many options in the frontline with (Marcus) Rashford injured and (Alejandro) Garnacho injured, so we don't have so many options there.

"We have to be careful and also in the individual prospect we know when there's a lot of load he gets injured. So we have to build it, especially when the games come quick after each other, the recovery time is less, we have to take that in mind, manage that good and very careful.

"I think you see first half we were in a really good shape. Aaron Wan-Bissaka played very well, Antony played very well, Marcel Sabitzer did really well, Bruno played very good and Anthony Martial as well, Rapha and Licha. So there were many positives about yesterday's game."

Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay could return from injury against Nottingham Forest on Sunday but United are almost certainly without centre-backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, Garnacho and Rashford. Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire are suspended for next