Manchester United have enjoyed a revival in recent months under Erik ten Hag, with the Old Trafford outfit losing just once since the resumption of domestic action following the 2022 World Cup.

There is a good feeling at United right now, and it appears that the Dutchman is ready to take the club into a new era. They made it through to the Carabao Cup final following a semi-final victory over Nottingham Forest in midweek, and Ten Hag has the chance to end the Red Devils' six-year trophy drought against Newcastle United later this month.

It was a composed performance against Forest, with goals from Anthony Martial and Fred securing a comfortable win.

January signing Wout Weghorst didn’t have the greatest of matches, recording just one shot all night and failing to score with a straightforward chance, and Ten Hag should consider unleashing Martial from the start against Crystal Palace.

The Frenchman has struggled with injury so far this term, missing 18 matches due to a variety of issues. However, he has still managed to score six goals in 14 games, a return which would surely improve if he is granted a sustained run of matches.

His display after replacing Weghorst in midweek was like watching the Martial of 2019/20. Despite playing only 27 minutes, he received a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10, scoring once and making two key passes during his cameo appearance.

There is no doubt that this will rebuild his confidence and put him in a positive frame of mind ahead of the next few months.

Palace have conceded 11 goals since Boxing Day, and Martial could be a better option against that leaky defence compared to Weghorst, who hasn’t quite found his feet at Old Trafford yet, scoring only once in his first five appearances.

The 27-year-old has certainly improved his displays this season compared to 2021/22, when he scored just once for United before being loaned out to Sevilla for the second half of the campaign.

Statman Dave has praised the Frenchman for his new-found focus this season, claiming that he is “rejuvenated”; and it appears that Ten Hag could be the ideal manager to bring the best out of Martial, who he deserves a start this afternoon.

With just one goal scored against Palace during his career at United, the attacker will be looking to improve on that return, as he has the scoring ability to truly terrorise the Eagles' defence.