Lisandro Martinez's return interrupted by yet another injury

After shortly returning from a fractured metatarsal, the Manchester United defender suffered another injury, forcing him off the field for an extra eight weeks.

The Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez, also known as “The Butcher,” will not undergo any surgery after receiving a heavy tackle from West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal in last Sunday's fixture. Although no further actions are needed, Martinez will expect an eight-week recovery before returning to Old Trafford.

In a pivotal moment during Manchester United’s 3-0 win over West Ham, the 26-year-old Argentine navigated through 71 minutes of play. However, the triumph was momentarily marred when a sprained Medial Collateral Ligament to his right knee forced him to concede his vital position and head towards the changing rooms early. Raphaël Varane took the pitch in his stead, signaling a crucial substitution in the match.

After Martinez was back on the pitch for the first time since April 2023, this situation was much more frustrating to not only Martinez but also boss Erik Ten Hag, who deemed the scenario “very bad.” The World Cup winner’s absence could prove costly for the Red Devils with the rest of the season that remains.

The character Martinez serves as part of the team, aside from his footballing ability, is something Ten Hag strongly values. This was proven after the Argentinian moved to United from Ajax for around $57 million in the summer of 2022. The defender had rejoined Erik ten Hag, who had previously coached him at the former Dutch club.

Martinez played 45 times in all competitions for United last season, missing the final nine Premier League games due to his foot injury. He has only featured on 10 occasions for United this season, though, with the West Ham match counting as only his seventh league start of the campaign.