Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled Anthony Martial aside last month and told the France forward his Manchester United career would be best served by ignoring outside influences and instead heeding the advice of manager Jose Mourinho and others at the club.

Ibrahimovic’s pep talk came after Martial’s agent, Philippe Lamboley, had spoken publicly about exploring the possibility of a loan move to Sevilla for his client and echoed Mourinho’s warning that the 21-year-old should listen to him and not his representative.

Although frustrated at being omitted from United’s squad for the Premier League game at Stoke City last Saturday and Thursday’s EFL Cup tie away to Hull City, Martial is understood to have been receptive to Ibrahimovic and Mourinho’s messages and is determined to emerge a stronger player from a difficult second season at the club.

Ibrahimovic’s intervention is the latest example of how the Swede helps to police the Old Trafford dressing room and his influence on the squad and Martial has come to recognise that Mourinho would not have been so hard on him if he did not think the player was worth all the effort. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been in a similar situation this season.

Mourinho has said he will recall Martial for the visit of Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday and has told the player that, if he produces a “magnificent” performance against the Championship club, he will keep his place for the league match at home to Hull three days later.