Anthony Martial, Jose Mourinho Relationship 'Strained' After 1-1 Draw with Stoke

Anthony Martial's relationship with manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly "under strain" after the striker was left out of Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Stoke City on Saturday. 

According to the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler, Mourinho was unhappy with the Frenchman's contribution against Liverpool the previous week and did not select him in the squad for the trip to the Bet365 Stadium.

As a result, Martial and his camp "are said to be upset" with the United boss.

Bruce Archer of the Express reported he missed training on Monday. However, according to sports journalist Duncan Castles, that was not the case:

The striker was the Red Devils' top scorer under Louis van Gaal last year with 18 goals but has not always been a regular under Mourinho—he has made 21 appearances in all competitions with just 13 coming in the Premier League.

United could have used his services on Saturday as they struggled to the 1-1 draw thanks to Wayne Rooney's last-gasp free-kick equaliser.

The Red Devils otherwise failed to impress in front of goal, as noted by ESPN's Alex Shaw and Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Martial has spent much of his time at Old Trafford playing on the wing, but he arrived as a centre-forward and has all the hallmarks of a top striker.

As well as the ability to run at players with pace and technique, Martial is a remarkably cool and composed finisher for a player so young—he only turned 21 in December.

However, as Wheeler noted, the Frenchman has had off-field problems to deal with such as the ending of his marriage—the potential impact of such an issue should not be underestimated, particularly on a player of his age.

Further, Mourinho's man-management style appears—from the outside, at least—to be somewhat abrasive and not every player will respond positively to his treatment.

The youngster has the potential to achieve great things at Old Trafford, though, and with Rooney 31 and Zlatan Ibrahimovic 35, United cannot afford to lose one of their top young forward talents.

Martial can play a big role in helping the Red Devils secure UEFA Champions League football this season if he's restored to the team—he and Mourinho will need to mend their relationship in order for him to do so.