The Lisandro Martinez injury has left Manchester United waiting. The defender came off at half-time of Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds United with a thigh problem. Michael Carrick confirmed the knock afterwards. “He felt his thigh a little bit,” he told reporters. With a Champions League trip to Como on Wednesday evening, the timing could hardly be worse. Martinez had only just forced his way back into Carrick’s plans.
What Carrick said about the Lisandro Martinez injury
Martinez played the first half at Elland Road as United led through Bryan Mbeumo’s smart finish ten minutes before the break. He did not reappear for the second half. Noussair Mazraoui took his place and the Argentinian watched the rest of the draw from the bench. The Evening Standard reports that it remains to be seen how serious the Lisandro Martinez injury is. United’s medical staff will assess the 28-year-old before the squad travels to Italy.
An eventful week for Martinez
The substitution capped a turbulent few days for the centre-back. The Lisandro Martinez injury adds to them. Sunday was his first appearance since his explosive interview after the defeat to Atletico Madrid. In it, he criticised the board and his own team-mates. Carrick only declared him available for the Leeds game on Friday, after clear-the-air talks with Jason Wilcox, Omar Berrada and himself drew a line under the matter. To then last 45 minutes before feeling his thigh is the kind of luck United could do without.
Como doubt for Wednesday
There has been no club word yet on whether the Lisandro Martinez injury will rule him out of the Como game. The Standard notes he could be a doubt for the Champions League fixture. That assessment is the newspaper’s projection rather than a confirmed club position. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half equaliser on Sunday extended United’s winless run to six games in all competitions. The last thing Carrick needs is another defensive absence.
Lead photo: United’s players celebrate Mbeumo’s opener at Elland Road, in a game that saw Lisandro Martinez withdrawn at half-time. Photo: Manchester United via X. Cropped and resized.
