Jose Mourinho Compares Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan Before Hull Match

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has offered a candid assessment of Anthony Martial's position in the first-team squad, having advised the young Frenchman he has fallen behind Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the pecking order. 

After taking the Premier League by storm in his debut term at Old Trafford, the 21-year-old has found it difficult to nail down a regular starting spot in 2016-17, with just two top-flight goals to his name.

Speaking about the Red Devils No. 11, Mourinho has challenged him to work hard to put himself back in contention, per Paul Vinnell of Sky Sports:

"

He has done enough to be on the bench [against Hull City on Wednesday]. He has to perform better than the others who are competing for the same positions.

His position is one where we have lots of options. Do you want me to leave Mkhitaryan out after being man of the match [against Wigan in the FA Cup] and playing so well as he did? I can't.

The players pick themselves. I am just there to analyse what they do and try to be fair with them. Such a good performance, Mkhitaryan has to play [against Hull]. Simple.

"

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Indeed, after struggling for minutes himself in the early stages of the season, Mkhitaryan is beginning to blossom following his move from Borussia Dortmund. The Armenian has offered an inventive and incisive presence in the final third, giving the Red Devils an edge to their attack.

Here's a look at how the two United attackers compare statistically in Premier League matches this season:

	Martial	Mkhitaryan
Apps (Sub)	9 (4)	7 (5)
Goals	2	2
Assists	3	0
Shots per game	1.5	1.6
Key passes per game	1	1.7
Dribbles per game	1.3	1

For Martial, it's been a minor fall from grace. Last term, under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal, he was the man at the hub of United's attacking play. 

Stationed on the left flank, the Red Devils would regularly feed the former AS Monaco man the ball with space to burst into. Martial's blistering speed, quick feet and eye for goal meant that any doubts about the fee paid to land him—a whopping £36 million—were dismissed.

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

This season, with Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining United in the summer, the responsibility has been shared and players have been rotated, something Martial has struggled to cope with.

The player's agent, Philippe Lamboley, even revealed he was considering a loan switch to Sevilla in December, per ABC de Sevilla (h/t Ian Holyman of ESPN FC).

However, as noted by Greg Johnson of Squawka, there have been recent signs the forward is finding his form once again, as he impressed in Sunday's FA Cup win against Wigan Athletic:

With so many options up top, Mourinho can afford to tinker with different setups, and given United have won six and drawn two of the last eight Premier League matches, it's difficult to argue too much with his decision-making.

Mourinho will be know exactly what he's doing in respect of Martial. Although he is a thrilling footballer and a popular player among fans, the forward has been through a rapid rise since he joined United. Some time on the fringes of the squad and out of the spotlight will give him time to recuperate.

The manager's use of Mkhitaryan was questioned by plenty early in the season but now the Old Trafford crowd are beginning to see the benefits of that patient approach.

With United competing on four fronts in 2017, Martial will have ample opportunity to force his way into the plans of the Portuguese again.