Manchester United are set to be without Lisandro Martinez for around eight weeks after the centre-back suffered a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
After a run of three successive wins (all competitions) on the bounce for Erik ten Hag, the news of his pivotal defender being dealt a second layoff of the season will have dampened everyone’s spirits around the dressing room.
Martinez is perhaps United’s most impactful and influential player, which is pretty remarkable given his position. His presence, agility, line-breaking passes and composure were all sorely missed across his first stint on the sidelines and undoubtedly played a part in the side’s tumultuous form.
Supporters were hoping that the term’s debilitating injury crisis was finally drawing to a close considering that the likes of Martinez, Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw all returned to action over the past weeks, however, Ten Hag must now navigate the Argentine’s absence for the next two months.
Alas, here are the fixtures that Martinez is set to miss.
The matches Martinez is likely to miss
Feb 11: Aston Villa (A)
Feb 18: Luton Town (A)
Feb 24: Fulham (H)
Feb 28: Nottingham Forest or Bristol City (A) – FA Cup
Mar 3: Manchester City (A)
Mar 9: Everton (H)
Mar 16: Sheffield United (H)
Mar 30: Brentford (A)
