Manchester United forward Anthony Martial defends absence from training claiming 'family comes first'

Jose Mourinho, the United manager, claimed on Tuesday not to know when Martial would return

Anthony Martial has confirmed that he will return to Manchester United training on Thursday following the birth of his second child.

Martial, who is looking to secure a move away from the club this summer, left United's pre-season tour of the United States last week to be by the side of his partner Melanie da Cruz in Paris.

Following the birth of son Swan, however, Martial did not return for United’s remaining tour friendlies, nor did he report to the club’s Carrington training ground.

Jose Mourinho publicly questioned why Martial had not rejoined the touring party in the States at the weekend and after United's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in Miami on Tuesday, the United manager claimed not to know when Martial would return.

Martial appeared to defend his absence on Wednesday, however, by suggesting that Da Cruz had encountered difficulties while giving birth and that his family “will always come first”.

“Thank you all for your posts,” he wrote on Twitter. “My little Swan is fine, for the mum it was harder but thanks to God she's better now. Sorry but my family will always come first... Back tomorrow in Manchester.”

Martial wants to leave Old Trafford this summer but United are reluctant to sell and will not sanction any departure to a Premier League rival.

Paris Saint-Germain are understood to retain an interest in the France international though, as The Independent revealed earlier this week, a move is reliant on the sale of one of their star forwards.