Anthony Martial is uncertain for Man Utd’s match against Brighton, but Cristiano Ronaldo ought to start.

‌

Due to an injury, Anthony Martial may miss Manchester United’s opening Premier League match of the 2022–23 campaign; Cristiano Ronaldo, the team’s obvious successor, played only 45 minutes during preseason; On Super Sunday, Sky Sports will broadcast Man Utd vs. Brighton live at 1pm, with kickoff at 2pm.

Who should start in attack for Erik ten Hag’s team on Sunday against Brighton given that Manchester United striker Anthony Martial is questionable for the Premier League opener?

The news that Martial might miss Ten Hag’s first competitive game in charge against the Seagulls this weekend, live on Sky Sports, has been a setback.

The France international will now undergo more testing to ascertain the severity of the injury after being observed clutching his leg after being replaced in Saturday’s 1-0 friendly loss to Atletico Madrid in Oslo.

Given that Martial’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain, Ronaldo is the obvious choice to start in Martial’s place. However, will Ten Hag start a player who has shown a desire to leave the team and has played only 45 minutes of preseason action?

Following a failed loan stint in Spain with Sevilla, Martial, who had missed United’s preseason tour of Thailand and Australia due to family obligations, snatched Ronaldo’s spot in the lineup.

The 26-year-old made a strong case to begin the new season as Ten Hag’s primary central attacker by impressing during preseason, scoring three goals and providing one assist. His days at United appeared to be numbered before that.

Ronaldo led United in scoring last season with 23 goals, but Martial appeared set to continue leading Ten Hag’s forward line after making his debut in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano.

Hag has favoured a front three of Martial, Sancho, and Rashford for the whole of the summer. If he chooses not to start Ronaldo, one option is to play Rashford through the middle and move Elanga, who started in friendlies against Melbourne Victory and Atletico, to one of the wide positions. Elanga started in friendlies against Melbourne Victory and Atletico.

If the United manager wanted to be a little more experimental, he might even elect to utilize some less experienced players in his first-team roster.

Both Chong and Garnacho made their debuts in the draw with Vallecano. Another potential choice Hag might use is Diallo, who recently spent time on loan at Rangers and scored in that game. Another example is Facundo Pellistri, who twisted his ankle against Atletico Madrid but subsequently declared himself to be “OK.”