Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has denied the assertion that he refused to travel with the squad for Saturday’s draw at Aston Villa.
Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has not played the Frenchman since taking over as boss, with a knee injury keeping him out of action before the trip to Villa Park.
“[Martial] didn’t want to be in the squad,” said Rangnick in a press conference after the 2-2 draw.
“He would have been in the squad normally, but he didn’t want to. That is the reason why he was not travelling with us [on Friday].”
But Martial quickly refuted the claim, adding that he would not “disrespect the fans”.
The striker posted on Instagram: “I will never refuse to play a match for Man United. I’ve been here for seven years and I never disrespected, and will never disrespect, the club and the fans.”
Martial has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this month, with Sevilla and Newcastle reportedly keen on his services.
United led 2-0 at Villa after a brace from Bruno Fernandes before a late comeback from the hosts, capped by a goal on his debut by Philippe Coutinho.
