Anthony Martial's promise as he gets the Number 9 jersey again

Anthony Martial is cleared to wear the Number 9 jersey again for Manchester United this season. He has made an interesting promise after being trusted to use the coveted number for the second time.

Martial had worn the said number when he first landed at United. However, he was forced to hand it over to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku.

Now that the two strikers have left, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given him the green light. He has started the 2019/20 season quite well, scoring two goals in two matches. 

Unfortunately, a hamstring injury has forced Martial to be sidelined since 24 August. He picked up the injury in a match against Crystal Palace in the third week of the EPL and has been absent for almost two months until he made a comeback against Liverpool last Sunday. 

The 23-year-old was subbed in for Marcus Rashford in the 84th minute. The match ended 1-1. 

“Now that I've taken the no.9 shirt back once again, all he [Ole] has said to me is that I have a lot of responsibility and that I have to score goals, so that's what I am trying to do,” Martial said.

Jose Mourinho, who managed the Red Devils last year, once intended to sell Martial, as he failed to perform consistently under the former’s management. 

During the period, Martial only had 27 goals and 18 assists under his belt, in more than 100 appearances, and was not able to carve out a position for himself in the team. 

Nevertheless, Martial is now happy with Ole. The new tactic allows more flexibility for the forward and the Frenchman should be able to make defenders uncomfortable with his movements and make space for other attackers to roam around with ease. 

Therefore, Martial and Rashford can change roles occasionally and a more unpredictable style of play might be the result. 

Manchester United still sit thirteenth in the Premier League table, and the Norwegian manager would be hoping that the Number 9 jersey inspires Anthony Martial to weave some magic.