Man Utd have avoided 'disaster' with positive Lisandro Martinez injury update

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·7 February 2024

Man Utd have avoided 'disaster' with positive Lisandro Martinez injury update

Highlights

Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez's knee injury is not as serious as initially feared, providing relief for those at Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old only made his return to Erik ten Hag's side in January, after undergoing surgery on a metatarsal injury in October 2023.
Martinez will be out of action for the Red Devils until April.

Manchester United have avoided a “disaster” after it was revealed that Lisandro Martinez’s injury is not as bad as first anticipated, as journalist Dean Jones describes the centre-back as a “bedrock” of the team at Old Trafford.

Head coach Erik ten Hag has endured a tumultuous 2023/24 season owing to the Red Devils’ lack of form and consistently bad luck with injuries to key players.

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Man Utd are at risk of missing out on qualification for the 2024/25 Champions League campaign and are out of continental competition heading into the spring. Martinez has been stricken with injury issues throughout the campaign but hopes that a recent return to fitness will aid him in his recovery from a knee injury.

Martinez injury provides a scare for Man Utd

Martinez will be happy to see the back of the 2023/24 season when it eventually concludes, having spent most of the campaign on the sidelines through injury. In October 2023, ten Hag confirmed that the centre-back would undergo further surgery to fix a persistent metatarsal injury.

In April 2023, Martinez sustained the injury in a Europa League quarter-final clash with Sevilla. However, persistent issues at the start of the next campaign meant that the defender had no choice but to undergo surgery.

On 14th January, Martinez made his long-awaited return to the pitch, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur. The close to £57m signing was getting into the gist of things and started in clashes against Newport County, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United in recent weeks.

However, on 4th February, when facing the Irons, Martinez was injured after seemingly sustaining an issue with his knee. Speaking about the injury after Man Utd’s 3-0 triumph over West Ham, ten Hag told reporters that “it doesn’t look good” and described the situation as a “personal disaster” for the defender.

However, after concerns over another lengthy absence, the club confirmed that Martinez had sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out of action for eight weeks. Whilst not ideal, the 26-year-old will breathe a sigh of relief that his recovery won’t require surgery, and he could return to action in April.

Dean Jones - Martinez has become a ‘cult hero’ at Man Utd

Jones admits having seen the initial pictures of Martinez, he “feared the worst” for the defender. The journalist claims it will be a “real relief” that the centre-back won’t miss as many games as he could have. Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“After seeing the initial pictures [of Martinez], you feared the worst. But hopefully, it's nothing like it could have been. I think it would have been a disaster. We’re just starting to see a version of this Man Utd team that can be considered a strong starting lineup and one they can use and build on going forward. They want Martinez to be at the bedrock of that. “We've all seen him become a bit of a cult hero already at Man Utd, but he has the traits that fit with the club's traditions and past. He's no-nonsense, but he's also very good at how he goes about his play from the back. It will be a real relief that he doesn't miss too many games.”

Man Utd transfer news, including summer spree for Olise, Sesko, and Zirkzee

Unsurprisingly, Manchester United didn’t make any significant signings during the 2024 winter transfer window, having been eager to remain within the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations. However, the arrival of minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe could impact the club’s business heading into the summer market.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook recently told GIVEMESPORT (6th February) that Manchester United could sign Michael Olise, Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee during the upcoming transfer window. The trio would fit the Red Devils’ philosophy of signing young, up-and-coming players who could add something to ten Hag’s squad.

Meanwhile, inews reports that Man Utd are interested in moving for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite alongside Crystal Palace’s Olise. The 20-time English champions have appointed Omar Berrada as their new chief executive, as INEOS and Ratcliffe aim to end a transfer strategy that has seen the club waste over £1bn without seriously challenging the Premier League title.