Manchester United have been handed a huge double boost with Anthony Martial set to sign a new four-and-a-half year contract in the next 48 hours and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar ruled out of both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie through injury.

Martial has finally agreed to a new deal that will commit him to United until June 2024 after almost a year of protracted talks. He would have been out of contract at the end of next season.

Philippe Lamboley, Martial’s agent, released a statement last June saying his client wanted to quit Old Trafford and Jose Mourinho, the former United manager with whom the France forward fell out, was willing to sell the player and use the money to bring in Brazil forward Willian from Chelsea.

But Mourinho’s wish was vetoed by the United hierarchy, who considered Martial to be integral to their long-term plans.

Yet even around the time of Mourinho’s sacking last month, Lamboley was still expressing pessimism about Martial’s prospects of signing a new contract after claiming United’s offer was “very far” from the 23-year-old’s demands.

However, there was a significant breakthrough in negotiations in recent weeks, which coincided with United’s upturn under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Martial’s key role in the attack, and the club is due to make an announcement by Friday or earlier. United’s focus will then turn to trying to secure David De Gea’s long-term future.