Man Utd suffer major blow as Lisandro Martinez injury fears confirmed

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is set to be ruled out for the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, according to reports in Argentina.

Martinez fell awkwardly after contesting for the ball with Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr during Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

The defender immediately went down clutching his knee and was stretchered off the pitch shortly after.

At full-time, Ruben Amorim hinted that the injury looked ‘serious’ and his fears have now been confirmed, with TyC Sports reporting that Martinez has suffered an ACL injury that will require surgery.

While the timeframe has not been confirmed, an injury of that magintude will likely rule the 27-year-old out for approximately six to eight months.

Martinez has already established himself as a lynchpin of Amorim’s back-three defence, starting 14 of the last 15 games for United in all competitions.

‘Licha is really important for us, not just the football player but the character that he has, especially in these hard moments, so now we have to help Licha like he has been doing for so long,’ Amorim said after Sunday’s defeat as he reflected on the potential of losing Martinez for an extended period.

The former Ajax defender also had his injury troubles last campaign, managing just 11 league appearances due to various injuries.

Matthijs de Ligt replaced Martinez on Sunday and could be expected to come straight into the side for next weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Leicester City.

Victor Lindelof is also an option, while Jonny Evans remains sidelined with a muscle injuiry.

Martinez also joins Luke Shaw and Mason Mount on United’s treatment table, although Shaw is now back in first-team training as he continues rehabilitation from his latest injury.

The injury blow comes with just hours remaining in the January transfer window, with United still reportedly looking at reinforcments for Amorim’s squad.

Patrick Dorgu was signed last week to add depth at left wing-back, but the club are also looking to add attacking firepower, particularly following the departure of Marcus Rashford on loan to Aston Villa.

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