Erik ten Hag favourite has two chances left to secure starting spot for Man United vs Man City

If one thing has been consistent about Manchester United this season it has been Erik ten Hag's defence of Anthony Martial.

Even though the Frenchman has seen more of the Carrington treatment room than the Old Trafford playing surface this term, Ten Hag has consistently backed the forward. He is a huge fan of Martial's qualities and that was apparent right from the very start of pre-season almost 12 months ago.

Martial enjoyed a successful pre-season campaign after a forgettable loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season, scoring three goals in Thailand and Australia. Had it not been for a hamstring injury that he suffered in the days leading up to the season opener against Brighton he would have started and led the Reds' attack.

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That hamstring injury was, of course, the first of several small injury complaints that the versatile attacker has had to contend with this season. They have restricted him to 27 appearances in all competitions, only 19 of which have come in the Premier League.

But despite experiencing a significant reduction in game time in comparison to what he would have liked, Ten Hag has remained a staunch supporter of Martial. He has frequently lauded him throughout the campaign when he has been fit and he admitted ahead of last month's 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Old Trafford that the Reds play their "best football" when he is on the pitch.

"You say I defended him but I just point to the stats, the stats tell you the moment he's on the pitch, the time he needs for a goal is really less," said Ten Hag, speaking in his pre-match press conference. "When he is in the team, I refer to games against Man City and Liverpool, we