Lisandro Martínez will miss the rest of the season after the Manchester United defender suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury against Crystal Palace, according to reports in Argentina.
The centre-back left the field in tears in the second half of United’s 2-0 defeat by Palace on Sunday after falling awkwardly as he challenged Ismaila Sarr in the 77th minute.
Martínez was in visible distress and signalled almost immediately to come off, with United head coach Ruben Amorim admitting the club were concerned he had suffered a “serious” injury.
United insiders said on Monday afternoon that they were still waiting to determine the full extent of the injury but sources close to Martínez in his native Argentina said he had suffered a ruptured ACL and would not play again this season.
The loss of Martínez for a prolonged period is a fresh blow for Amorim at a time when United are in crisis on the pitch, with the new head coach having lost seven of his first 13 Premier League matches since replacing Erik ten Hag in November. After Sunday’s defeat, United were 13th in the table with a minus six goal difference.
This would be Martínez’s fourth serious injury since his £57 million move from Ajax in July 2022. He suffered medial collateral ligament damage to his right knee a year ago that ruled him out for three and a half months after a brief, aborted comeback.
He also fractured a metatarsal towards the end of his first season and then suffered a recurrence of the problem the following September that kept him out for almost four months.
United will hope the prospect of losing Martínez for a lengthy period is tempered by the impending return of Luke Shaw, who is back in full training having last started a game for the club 12 months ago.
The club also confirmed the signing on Sunday of Denmark left wing-back Patrick Dorgu and have also brought in 18-year-old centre-back Ayden Heaven from Arsenal.
Martínez was surrounded by concerned team-mates and received almost six minutes of treatment before being taken off on a stretcher in tears.
“We are going to see in the next days but I think it is a serious situation,” Amorim had said on Sunday. “He is not only a great player but a strong character in the dressing room. He felt it and when you are a player, you know when it is something serious. We are here to help him in this difficult moment like he has helped us.
“I think it’s a bad situation, let’s wait to assess things with the doctor but I think it’s a serious situation.”
2025-02-02T16:20:28Z