Lisandro Martinez has undergone surgery to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament, marking another tough chapter in a season already marred by injuries. The Manchester United centre back, 27, sustained the ACL injury during United’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on February 2. Martinez picked up the injury when he clashed with Palace’s Ismaila Sarr in the later stages of the game. The injury sidelines the Argentinian for the rest of the season.
Just after the injury, United confirmed that a medical team would assess the situation before making any decision on Martinez’s recovery. However, after several scans and opinions, Martinez went to have his surgery done which was reportedly a success as per Daily Mail. Martinez is expected to make a full recovery in around seven months. However, such injuries may take even a year to recover completely which will be a major setback for Amorim, who already is facing a tough start to life in Manchester. Despite this, if rehabilitation proceeds without complications, there is cautious optimism that the defender could return in time for the start of next season.
Head coach Ruben Amorim has been candid about the impact of Martinez’s absence. “Licha is really important for us, not just as a football player, but as a character, especially in this hard moment,” Amorim remarked earlier when Martinez suffered the ordeal. His comments underscored Martinez’s impact on United’s back three. Martinez’s defensive solidity and leadership on the pitch have been key attributes that Amorim appreciates.
Martinez’s injury is not an isolated incident. Since joining United from Ajax in 2022, the defender has faced a series of setbacks, including previous surgeries on his foot and a medial ligament injury he sustained about a year ago which kept him out for 8 games. However, despite some injury setbacks, Martinez has been a regular for both Amorim and Erik ten Hag ever since he arrived from Ajax, making 58 Premier League appearances so far.
While Amorim will be missing the defender in action, the club is focused on supporting Martinez through his recovery. In the meantime, speculations of defensive recruitment in the summer are expected as United looks to offload defenders including Johhny Evans, Lindelof and Malacia.