Manchester United fans’ worst fears have come true after it was confirmed that Lisandro Martinez will miss the rest of this season.
The Argentine world champion had to get carried away by some of their compatriots in United’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Europa League and his prolonged absence will pose another conundrum in the starting XI for manager Erik ten Hag.
United have confirmed that Martinez suffered a metatarsal fracture in his right foot.
Such an injury can take anywhere from six weeks to several months to recover and will require surgery, which has some United fans worried.
Martinez’s season is over and he will miss at least 10 games. United insisted the defender was fit in time for the start of the 2023-24 season.
United’s progress in the Europa League is threatened by a 2-2 draw with Sevilla, as they need to beat Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals to reach the final of the competition. If United reach the finals of both competitions, Martinez will miss four more games on top of those already scheduled in the club’s 2022/23 calendar.
Ten Hag’s main problem at the moment is having to replace two excellent centre-backs in United’s upcoming fixtures, with Raphael Varane also injured in the draw with Sevilla – he will be out in the coming weeks.
Club captain Harry Maguire, whose share of United supporters is quite small, is to be part of the first-choice duo’s absence, while Luke Shaw played in central defense and was back on the pitch at the start of this season could slip. However, he is also currently injured.
Victor Lindelof is even further down the pecking order, while Casemiro could be used as a defender if Ten Hag doesn’t trust his remaining options.
