By Jamie Spencer
Manchester United striker Anthony Martial trained with the rest of the squad on Thursday for the first time since undergoing surgery on a groin injury in January.
Martial was seen in pictures of the session at Carrington, with United manager Erik ten Hag later going on to confirm at a press conference that the Frenchman had been "partly" involved.
Although he will remain a doubt for upcoming games until he is training fully, it raises the possibility of Martial getting back on the pitch before the end of the campaign.
United have five fixtures remaining this season, including the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25, which could represent Martial's last few opportunities to play for the club. The former Monaco star is in his ninth season at Old Trafford but is set to see his contract expire next month without the one-year extension option being triggered or a new deal being agreed.
Since a career best 23-goal season in 2019/20, Martial has struggled with injuries and form, leading United to invest heavily in Rasmus Hojlund last summer. Another striker, more experienced to complement the young Dane, is also on the transfer radar ahead of next season.
Perhaps a more significant injury boost on Thursday was the simultaneous reappearance of Jonny Evans on the training pitch, given the club's ongoing defensive injury crisis. United are still missing Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Willy Kambwala, with Harry Maguire the only available centre-back in recent games and Casemiro forced to fill in.
Evans could appear against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday night, but United won't be able to welcome Marcus Rashford back from an injury that has already ruled him out of two games since last month's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City.
Bruno Fernandes, whose future at the club has suddenly been questioned after comments he made this week, is also a "doubt" in Ten Hag's words, but will "do his best to be available".
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Anthony Martial returns to Man Utd training as Bruno Fernandes injury latest revealed.
