Man Utd loanee Martial struggles on Sevilla debut as Lopetegui tells him he's arrived with baggage & must improve

The Liga club's head coach has insisted that the Frenchman must offer more in matches going forward after he struggled against Osasuna

Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui has insisted that Manchester United loanee Anthony Martial must improve after a less-than-impressive debut performance.

The Frenchman was signed in January as the Spanish side attempted to reinvigorate a tired and depleted squad as they look to challenge Real Madrid for the title.

Martial started the fixture against Osasuna but was withdrawn with a little under 15 minutes of play remaining after an ineffective debut, with the match finishing 0-0 as Sevilla missed the chance to close the gap to Madrid at the top to just one point.

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What's been said?

Lopetegui told reporters as he discussed Martial's debut: "Clearly he has to give us more. It was his first game, it's not easy to adapt.

"He comes with a bit of baggage because he's hardly played this season. Bit by bit he has to get up to speed, I'm sure he'll get there."

Next matches

How did Martial perform on his Sevilla debut?

The former Monaco winger showed signs of rustiness and failed to make a significant impact against Osasuna, with Martial having played little football for Manchester United prior to his switch to Seville.

The versatile forward played on the left of a front three but after a quiet first appearance in Sevilla colours, Lopetegui decided to bring him off after 77 minutes as Sevilla pressed for a winner.

What does the future hold for Martial?

Martial's loan deal with Sevilla will end in the summer, when all three parties will consider the next steps.

The Liga side will be paying €6m towards Martial's salary during his loan spell, with the Frenchman's willingness to take a pay cut meaning that United will not need to pay any wage contribution.

There was no purchase option included as part of the move although there is a clause that would lead to a second loan spell for the 2022-23 campaign, should all parties be happy to proceed.

With Manchester United due to appoint a new permanent manager in the summer, it remains to be seen if Martial will be part of the long-term plan at Old Trafford.

The forward's contract expires in 2024 so, should he be deemed surplus to requirements for the 2022-23 campaign, United are likely to look at moving him on, and potentially back to Sevilla.