AFP, Manchester :
Anthony Martial’s Manchester United future has looked to be in severe doubt lately, so Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round tie against Wigan carries extra significance for him.
United boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that the France forward will start the match, having been omitted from the squad for the last two matches.
It will be the first time that Martial has played since he started the 1-1 Premier League draw against Liverpool on January 15, when he was substituted after 65 minutes.
Asked directly on Wednesday if he thought that Martial had lost his focus, Mourinho said no, although he did add that “I think he just didn’t catch with both hands a big opportunity he had”.
Mourinho, though, has promised Martial he will keep his place if he performs well against a Wigan side who have climbed out of the Championship relegation zone after winning their last two matches.
The manager will also play Sergio Romero in goal after agreeing to give David de Gea the weekend off, with Joel Pereira named on the bench as back-up, while left-back Luke Shaw will play for the first time since November after recovering from injury.
“Anthony will play on Sunday and if he plays magnificently, he will play against Hull in the next match-it’s simple,” Mourinho said.
