Injuries threaten Manchester United's status in Premier League

Martinez's injury is the most recent in a long list of injuries for Manchester United. From Raphaël Varane to Alejandro Garnacho to Marcus Rashford, the Red Devils are facing an injury crisis at the worst possible time.

Man U is in fourth place, but with games against the fifth-place Tottenham, sixth-place Aston Villa and seventh-place Brighton in the next three weeks, its position could be threatened. Only 10 points separate the four teams, and lackluster performances by the Red Devils could see them dip to the bottom of the pile and out of European contention.

Defense is the main worry for Man United. Varane and Martinez are still undergoing tests, with both expected to miss Sunday's match against Nottingham Forest.

"I think [Martinez] will not play on Sunday," coach Erik ten Hag told ESPN. "It looks like that, but I can't say what the diagnosis is and prefer to wait and say what it is. We have very good replacements with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw."

Those players, though, aren't comparable to Varane and Martinez. None of them can replicate Varane's thoughtful positioning, for instance. He denied Sevilla a near-certain goal Thursday thanks to his cool head and superior instincts. The French defender cleared a speculative shot directly off of his own goal line to save his teammates.

Nor can they replicate Martinez's aggressive, pacy runs. The Argentinian has made many fans in the Premier League since his arrival thanks to his refusal to back down against stronger opponents. Only 5-foot-9, he is one of the league's shortest defenders, but he is not to be messed with.

With both players missing, ten Hag is likely to play a four-man defense with Tyrell Malacia and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on either side of Maguire and Lindelof. It should see them through against 18th-place Nottingham Forest, but Tottenham, Aston Villa and Brighton will be more challenging.

Regardless, ten Hag refuses to back down.

"I have said all season that we have more than 11 starters, so now others are on and when their time is there, you have to show and contribute to the team,"  he told the media. "You have to be ready. That is what we expect and what we demand."