Manchester United duo Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford return to training ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.
Manchester United have confirmed that both Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford trained on Thursday, with the duo seemingly now in contention to face Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils have only been able to call upon Martinez on 11 occasions this season due to injury, and his latest issue – related to his calf – has kept him out since the end of March.
Rashford, meanwhile, has not played for the 20-time English champions since limping off during the FA Cup semi-final with Coventry City on April 21.
The England international has missed his side’s last three Premier League matches against Sheffield United, Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Martinez’s last outing in England’s top flight, meanwhile, was the 1-1 draw with Brentford on March 30.
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Lisandro Martinez, Marcus Rashford train on Thursday
The Argentina international was forced to undergo a second foot operation of 2023 towards the start of the season, eventually returning against Tottenham Hotspur in the middle of January.
However, the centre-back then suffered a knee problem against West Ham United on February 4 before picking up the calf issue which has seen him miss five straight league fixtures.
Martinez’s return for the final three league matches of the season, and the FA Cup final with Manchester City on May 25, would be a monumental boost for Erik ten Hag‘s side.
Casemiro has recently been used as a centre-back due to the team’s problems in that area of the field, and he was joined by Jonny Evans in the middle against Crystal Palace last time out, with the Northern Ireland international called upon after returning from injury due to a muscular problem for Harry Maguire.
Ten Hag will speak to the media on Friday afternoon and is likely to reveal whether Martinez will be available for Sunday’s Premier League contest against Arsenal.
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Man United were missing Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay against Palace, with the former ruled out due to a minor issue, while the latter failed to recover from a knee injury in time.
Both were thought to be close to featuring at Selhurst Park, though, and it would not be a surprise to see the pair back in the squad for the game against Arsenal.
Man United could therefore receive a quadruple injury boost for the clash against the Gunners, who are currently top of the Premier League table, one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
Rashford scored against Arsenal in the reverse match earlier this season and has managed six career goals against the North London outfit.
The 26-year-old has faced heavy criticism for his struggles at club level this season, having only managed to contribute eight goals and five assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.
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