Manchester United have reportedly suffered an injury setback with their Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez, who has been forced to withdraw from the national squad for World Cup qualifiers.
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Martinez, who played the full 90 minutes in United’s 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday, was expected to feature for Argentina in their upcoming matches.
The 26-year-old centre-back had been called up to represent Argentina for two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru. However, according to Argentine reports, Martinez suffered a ‘knock’ before linking up with his national team and will now miss these important fixtures.
The news of his injury will raise concerns for United fans, especially considering Martinez’s previous injury struggles. Last season, he was limited to just 14 appearances due to fitness issues.
However, the Red Devils will hope that this recent withdrawal is simply a precautionary measure, as the defender has been a consistent presence in the starting XI for United, featuring in 10 of their 11 Premier League matches this season.
Martinez had been tipped to thrive under the guidance of new manager Ruben Amorim, who is expected to implement a new tactical system at Old Trafford, potentially using a back-three formation.
Former United player Jaap Stam highlighted Martinez’s suitability for the new formation, alongside other key defenders such as Matthijs de Ligt and Lamine Yoro.
Despite his importance to United’s defense, Martinez has faced criticism this season. After a 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier this month, Roy Keane expressed dissatisfaction with the defender’s performance, particularly in his duel with Cole Palmer, and even suggested that Martinez was fortunate to avoid a red card for a rash tackle.
United will be hoping that Martinez’s withdrawal from the Argentina squad does not lead to a long-term injury, as they continue their campaign under their new manager.