Since joining from Ajax in the summer of 2022, Lisandro Martinez has been Manchester United’s best centre-back. The Argentine has been in superb form for the Red Devils and has hardly put a foot wrong since his big-money move from the Netherlands. His fierceness and fearless nature have even made him a fan favorite at Old Trafford.
While Lisandro Martinez has been consistent as far as on-field performances are concerned, the World Cup winner has been struggling with injuries, especially in his second season at the club. His latest came in the Premier League outing against West Ham United, as his knee injury appeared to have recurred and he was forced off just at the hour mark.
Lisandro Martinez injury update
On his best days, there’s no better centre-back than Lisandro Martinez in the Manchester United squad. The 2022 World Cup-winning defender is an old-fashioned defender with every modern quality of the position. It’s safe to call him one of the best ones left, with some old-school qualities you would usually associate with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Vincent Kompany, Nemanja Vidic, and even Jaap Stam.
For a guy who was completely written off before he even played his first game for Manchester United due to his height, Martinez has made his critics eat their words.
Sadly, injuries have plagued his United career, especially towards the end of last season and this season. The World Cup winner only returned from injury in January, with a foot injury keeping him on the sidelines for over four months. In one of his first Old Trafford appearances since his return from the layoff, Martinez sustained a knee injury from a heavy challenge from West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal.
“I can’t say, but it doesn’t look good,” Erik Ten Hag said when asked about the update on Martinez. “There is a bad concern. We have to wait for a few days for the diagnosis. We do everything to get the right diagnosis and see what is the damage,” the boss added.
Manchester United’s depth in center back position
Injuries have been a huge problem for Manchester United this season, especially in the backline. Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Johnny Evans, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have all been injured at some point this season.
Ten Hag has also suffered from injuries to important players like Casemiro, Eriksen, and Hojlund. The return of these players into the fold has helped Manchester United remain unbeaten in 2024, with the club losing just one of their last five Premier League games.
With Lisandro Martinez injured, Erik Ten Hag will now hope to revive the partnership between Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, although the latter prefers a left-footed partner, which explains his thriving partnership with the injured Martinez.
Maguire has worked his way back into the team after a long period of being a fringe player at the club. United even accepted a $35 million bid from West Ham United last summer, but the deal fell through due to Maguire’s reluctance to leave Old Trafford.
United also have the likes of Johnny Evans, Victor Lindelof, and the 18-year-old Willy Kambwala, who made his debut earlier this season.
