Erik ten Hag has warned Antony that he must work hard to recover his starting spot at Manchester United.

The Brazilian, an £82m signing from Ajax in 2022, has failed to justify that price tag thus far and is no longer a regular in Ten Hag’s starting lineups. He is yet to score or assist a goal in the Premier League this season.

With Rasmus Hojlund out injured for the next few weeks, there is less competition for minutes in United’s attack, but Ten Hag insisted Antony is not guaranteed minutes with a damning assessment of the 24-year-old’s form.

“He has to prove a point, that he will do,” Ten Hag told the media. “And he has big potential. He hasn’t shown it lately, but I know what his talent is, and it’s about proving his talent, and it’s about him. And, yeah, he will probably get his opportunities, right?

“You have competition, and now he has to show himself on the training pitch, but also others because we have opportunities there. With [Amad] Diallo returning from an injury, he’s doing well in the training. Omari Forson is doing well. So we have options to fill in those positions. And it’s not set that Marcus Rashford has to play as a centre forward.”

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With Hojlund out injured, United have no natural striker to call on as Anthony Martial is also unavailable. The Frenchman is expected to leave the club this summer after an underwhelming few years which Ten Hag admits left him wanting more.

“You can’t ignore the facts. I knew that [Martial’s last full game was January 2021] as well,” Ten Hag continued. “But you do everything to get him fit, to keep him fit.

“We have given him the opportunities. He played a good game against Everton for instance. But it is too few good performances to contribute to our squad. And we should have expected more, that is the truth. But to bring in another striker, that means you rule him totally out at the start of the season, so I don’t think that is the right decision.”

Antony remains under contract at Old Trafford until 2027 but reports suggest he is facing an uncertain future after failing to win over those in charge at United.