Alexis Sanchez could reportedly be set to stay put at Manchester United amid concerns over the thigh injury that Anthony Martial is struggling with.

According to a report by The Guardian, Manchester United could rule out the departure of Alexis Sanchez in the wake of the thigh injury that Anthony Martial sustained this past weekend. The Chilean forward has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan ahead of next month’s transfer deadline.

It has been a disastrous 18-month spell for Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United, with the player failing to settle in at Old Trafford. While he endured a catastrophic drop in form in this period, the 30-year-old has also had his fair share of injuries, which have curtailed his involvement significantly.

As a result, he started just 13 games in all competitions last season and in 40 appearances since joining Manchester United, Sanchez has managed to find the back of the net on just 5 occasions. That is a paltry return for a player who very nearly won the Premier League Golden Boot just two seasons ago.

The drop in stature has become even more evident during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at Old Trafford, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial ahead of the Chilean international in the pecking order. With Sanchez still returning to peak fitness, summer signing Daniel James has also seemingly usurped him.

Sanchez might not be joining Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)
Sanchez might not be joining Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)

With Solskjaer giving mixed signals whenever quizzed about the player’s future a late departure has been mooted. Inter Milan have been heavily linked with Sanchez in recent weeks, with the Chilean primed to leave Manchester United on loan for the rest of the season.

The Nerazzurri are also expected to reopen dialogue with Manchester United over the proposed loan move. But, a spanner may have been thrown in the works for Inter amid concerns over the fitness of Anthony Martial.

The Frenchman picked up a thigh injury in Manchester United’s shock 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace. And, United are awaiting the results of the scans on Martial. If his injury turns out to be serious, Solskjaer would be in serious need of keeping Sanchez, which explains why the Red Devils are likely to pull the plug on a loan exit in such a scenario, as per The Guardian.

Indeed, if Martial is sidelined for a considerable period, Solskjaer will be left with Rashford, James and the inexperienced Mason Greenwood as the only attacking options at his disposal for three positions apart from Sanchez, although Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata could also fill in out wide.

As a result, it makes sense to keep hold of Sanchez, depending on the results of the aforementioned scans on Martial. For now, the Chilean’s future at Manchester United hangs in the balance, and his proposed move to Inter Milan could be off.

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