Antony recall option highlighted as Real Betis loanee sends new ...

Antony's impressive run at Real Betis continued on Sunday, with the Brazilian scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 3-0 triumph over Real Sociedad. Since his loan move from Manchester United to the Spanish side, Antony has been in stellar form, earning man of the match on his debut and netting goals in La Liga and the Conference League before his standout performance on Sunday.

He set up Betis for an early lead around the half-hour mark by winning a penalty, which Giovani Lo Celso unfortunately couldn't convert. However, Antony soon made amends with a stunning goal. After a failed clearance attempt by La Real following a free-kick, the ball fell to Antony, who volleyed it past Alex Remiro to put Betis ahead.

The £86m player's exceptional form on loan has sparked speculation about a possible recall. But even if such a clause exists in the loan agreement, Antony has been excluded from United's Premier League squad for the second half of the season, meaning he wouldn't be able to play in league matches even if he returned.

As United aim to recover some of the hefty fee they paid Ajax in 2022, a strong end to the season and a permanent transfer to Betis might be their best bet. And Antony certainly seems to be making a case for himself.

Former Leeds player Marc Roca netted Betis' third, receiving a pass from Antony before cutting in and finding the bottom corner. Despite the visitors being reduced to nine men after Igor Zubeldia's first-half dismissal and Sheraldo Becker's red card, there were no further goals.

Antony's performance comes amidst a challenging time for his parent club. United are dealing with several injuries with Amad - who had surpassed Antony in the Old Trafford pecking order - likely to be out for the rest of the season.

Following United's lack of January signings and James Maddison's decisive goal in North London, head coach Ruben Amorim was questioned. "You know the situation, we cannot bring in players without selling players. Then we try some situations and it was not possible," he explained on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We have young kids and we have to work with the young kids. We were not expecting so many injuries in one week. These things happen. Let's focus on the next game."

This article originally appeared on Mirror