Anthony Martial quit Manchester United pre-season tour after TELLING Jose Mourinho he was leaving for birth of son

JOSE MOURINHO said he could not stand in Anthony Martial’s way when he told him he was leaving Manchester United’s pre-season tour.

Martial left the United States yesterday to be with his partner Melanie Da Cruz ahead of the birth of their child.

The club initially were unable to confirm whether he had been given permission to go by manager Jose Mourinho.

Last night after United’s penalty shoot-out win against AC Milan in Los Angeles it was clear Mourinho did not have a choice in the matter.

Mourinho said: “I found out that Martial was going to Paris when he told me. It was two or three days ago.

“When it is personal reasons, everyone analyses the way he thinks is the correct way and when a man is going to be a father, in this case it's the second time he is going to be a father, and he decides it is very important for him to go, nobody has the right to stop him to go.”

The relationship between the two is at rock bottom with the club now looking to get the 22-year-old Frenchman out.

While the player wants a move within the Premiership with Spurs and Chelsea interested, the club are refusing to sell to a domestic rival.

It is all a sorry end to Martial’s United career which promised so much when former boss Louis van Gaal hailed him as the best player in the world for his age.

That was when he made his switch from Monaco to Manchester United in 2015.

He has failed to live up to that billing but United will still hold out for £60million for the player.

Meanwhile Mourinho’s pre-season woes continue with Antonio Valencia not taking any further part in the tour due to a calf injury.

Nemanja Matic was having treatment and did not train fully on Tuesday.
It now seems unlikely that Marcos Rojo will not join the tour as he is also having treatment back at Carrington on a knock he picked up on World Cup duty with Argentina.