Manchester United fans were left in a worry after seeing Lisandro Martinez sustain a knee injury in their recent 3-0 win over West Ham United and Erik ten Hag’s post-match comments didn’t help to alleviate concerns. However, details of the injury and his timeline to return have now been revealed.
Manchester United Get Lisandro Martinez Injury Update
How Bad Is Lisandro Martinez’s Injury?
Manchester United have confirmed that Martinez has suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the forseeable future. The club released further details in a statement: “Lisandro Martinez has sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks.
The Argentine defender left the field in the 71st minute of our 3-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday. We all wish Licha a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch later in the season.”
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has reported that the centre-back will not have to undergo surgery to assist in his recovery. Instead, he added, United are hopeful that Martinez will be back in action for them after the next FIFA International fixtures window in March (from March 18-26).
If this is indeed the case, it would mean that the defender could miss at least seven more matches for the Red Devils from now to that period, including the upcoming Premier League game against Aston Villa and the Manchester Derby at the Etihad on March 3.
How Can Manchester United Cope Without Vital Centre-Back?
The Red Devils will be gutted by the injury suffered by Martinez, who put in impressive performances after his return from an ankle injury he sustained earlier in the campaign and one which forced him to undergo surgery. Erik ten Hag will just have to rely on the other options in his squad for the time being.
Fortunately, he has plenty of options at his disposal who can play in the Argentine’s position at least until he returns. Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans have both played as the left-sided centre-back in the 2023/24 campaign, while Luke Shaw is an option if the Dutch gaffer craves for a left-footed centre-back. The Dutchman can only hope that whoever replaces Martinez, who has made 55 appearances for United since joining from Ajax in 2022, can make the same kind of impact as him.
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