Solskjaer expects Man United forward to take even bigger strides in his development

Anthony Martial may be back in the France squad but he has made a slow start to the season for Manchester United.

The reason for his call back up to the France squad stems from the goalscoring form he showed in a red shirt last season (scoring 23 goals in 48 appearances), but sadly he has not been able to continue his scoring spree this term.

Martial’s form undoubtedly contributed to last season’s strong finish which saw United clinch third spot and return to the UEFA Champions League.

The boss reckons he is still working towards his ‘peak form’ due to the lack of a proper pre-season schedule.

Martial’s progress was also halted by a three-game suspension he picked up following a red card against Tottenham on the day United lost 6-1 to José Mourinho’s side.

Still, Solskjaer Martial to develop and make greater strides to become a better player for United.

Speaking ahead of United’s Champions League clash against Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday, Solskjaer said (via Manchester Evening News): “Anthony did well last season and took big strides in becoming a striker we know he can be.

“Like a lot of the players, he’s not had a pre-season as usual and is working towards his peak form. He missed a few games through suspension so he lost a bit of football too.

“Hopefully he will continue working hard to get to his best again.”

Solskjaer added: “He made strides last season. I think he will take even bigger strides and develop more.

“He scored a lot of goals last season, a big return. There are demands in any position, so we want Anthony to kick on.

“For me it is about getting the chances, he has always been good at finishing. Maybe the keepers have made some good saves against him but it’ll change for him soon.”

Read more: Dean Henderson wants to stay at United, amid claims of possible loan move

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