Erik ten Hag has his say on the injury to Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez
Speaking in an interview as quoted by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Erik ten Hag addressed the injury issue to Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and claimed that it’s very sad that he is set to be out for a while with an injury.
Martinez broke a bone on his right foot in April, forcing him to miss the last few weeks of the previous season. After he returned to the team in the summer, the issue worsened. On September 3, during the 3-1 loss to Arsenal, he was replaced.
Before being sidelined from action for at least two months, he started for United against Brighton and Bayern Munich but did not play for Argentina during the international break. These absences from games can lead to a loss of confidence for Lisandro Martinez and this might be a pressing issue for the club.
Erik ten Hag said on Martinez’s injury :
“We did a proper diagnosis, in Argentina as well, but now it came out that there was a problem. That’s very sad, for him and the team, because he was not 100% fit.”
“I think it was a big difference, the Licha Martinez in the last games and the Licha Martinez we have seen in the first season here.”
Martinez got injured on April 13th 2023 during United’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Europa League quarterfinals. He had surgery five days later to rectify the issue.
Raphael Varane is another player who is prone to injuries and it can be very difficult to mitigate the effects of Martinez being suspended for two months. In his absence, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof might have to cover the void at centre back.
Last season, the defence was one of the strongest aspects of United’s play and one of the main reasons was the partnership that Licha and Rafa formed at the back.
Martinez has consistently been one of the first names on the team sheet over the past year, justifying his selection with a string of good performances.
Martinez’s absence from the team is no doubt going to be a setback. How Erik ten Hag handles the situation might shape how the season goes for United.
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The defence is undoubtedly going to be vulnerable in the absence of Lisandro Martinez. All we can do right now is hope for him to come back. Let’s see how it goes.
