Man United might have cruised past West Ham United in the Premier League but that win has come at the cost of an injury to Lisandro Martinez.
Manchester United won 3-0 against the Hammers at Old Trafford but during the second half of the match, Lisandro Martinez had to be taken off with an injury to his right knee.
The defender sustained the knock while protecting the ball for a throw-in and despite initial efforts to carry on, he had to be taken off. Now, speaking after the match, Man United manager Ten Hag has confirmed the worst, stating that Martinez’s injury looks serious, and he could be sidelined for an extended period.
Ten Hag said after the match: “I can’t tell the detail but it seems bad. We have to wait for the detail and making the right diagnosis in the coming days. We’ll see what is going on. In this moment, we’re very sad about this but, hopefully, it’s not too bad. We can only pray.
“It’s disappointing for the team and especially for Licha. It’s so frustrating, he worked hard to return now for two games. It looks like he has to sit some games out injured again but let’s stay positive at this moment. Hopefully, it’s not too bad but we have to wait.”
This is a major setback for Lisandro Martinez because he’s already missed 22 games for the club this season owing to a foot injury and he only made a comeback in the first week of January.
Now, after playing just four games, he’s gotten injured again and if the initial reports are accurate then Martinez could be out for several weeks.
The 26-year-old is the fulcrum for playing out from the back and his return had immediately brought in a sense of calm in the Man United back line. With him in the team, United have looked a much more composed side but now that he is sidelined, Ten Hag will once again have to rely on the pairing of Harry Maguire and Varane.
These two have done really well when called up but without Lisandro Martinez, Man United lose the flair and creativity in the back line. Further scans will reveal the exact extent of the injury but even if things are positive, he will be out for at least a fortnight.
