In the 3-1 defeat against Arsenal last Sunday, all those associated with Manchester United had ended the weekend with a bitter taste in their mouths, not only because of the result but because of the substitution of Lisandro Martinez in the 67th minute of the game.
Manager Erik Ten Hag responded to this when he was asked about the situation of the Argentinian defender:
"“Licha [Martínez] said he had a foot problem. But I’m not sure if it’s an injury. You have to wait, you have to see, you have to make the diagnosis.”"
Much to the relief of the United fans, Martinez is currently training with the Argentina national team and is not experiencing any pain or difficulty, as might have been expected. This indicates that what happened on Sunday against Arsenal was nothing more than a precaution.
Martinez could play for Argentina this Thursday against Ecuador and Bolivia next Tuesday. Once the international break is finished, Lisandro is expected to be in the Manchester United team that faces Brighton in their next fixture.
At the weekend, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans both finished the game as United’s central defenders – conceding two late goals that cost United a point. The Dutch coach will have to decide on who will partner Martinez, as Raphael Varane is out for a month due to injury.