Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has vowed to come back fighting after agonisingly suffering a third long-term injury since his 2022 arrival.
The Argentina World Cup winner has been ruled out for up to two months after sustaining knee ligament damage that forced him off in the second half of Sunday’s 3-0 win over West Ham. The 26-year-old had only returned from foot surgery three weeks ago.
Martinez has played just ten times all season after a recurring metatarsal injury led to a second round of surgery in September. The centre-back had initially picked up the problem back in April, a setback that ended his season early.
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Erik ten Hag has described the fresh injury as a “personal disaster” for the player with the club confirming the extent of his issue on Monday afternoon. Martinez himself has thanked fans for the well wishes sent his way and is determined to do everything he can to get back fit.
Taking to Instagram, Martinez wrote: “I want to give a heartfelt thanks for the great support I’ve received and to reassure you that I’ll soon be back out there, and we’ll fight together. Always united!”
Martinez is arguably United’s primary centre-back selection. Harry Maguire has generally been in good form while Jonny Evans has more than justified his shock return, but both are north of 30.
Martinez is seen as a long-term figure in the United set-up, yet will not have enjoyed consistent game time for a whole year by the time he recovers from his latest issue. Meanwhile, United are expected to dip into the market for a new defender this summer.
Raphael Varane is set to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract in June with the player unsure whether he would agree to a reduced-terms deal given he feels like he is being pushed out of the club.
Victor Lindelof, who has had his year-long extension triggered, and 19-year-old December debutant Willy Kambwala are the other natural centre-back options while left-back Luke Shaw also has the ability to play at centre-half.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
