Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is taking a big step towards his return after eight months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
After a slight delay in his return, Lisandro Martinez is finally ready to join his teammates in Manchester United training this week.
Martinez has not played for United in 262 days, having been injured in the 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on February 2. It has been a major absence for Ruben Amorim since then, as he has missed a total of 35 games for United due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Argentina international has been working patiently behind the scenes at the club’s Carrington training ground and is now approaching a key milestone. United had hoped last week that Martinez would join Amorim’s first-team group, but that didn’t turn out to be the case.
United are aware that ACL injuries can be difficult and are keen to take a very cautious approach to Martinez’s return. However, Martinez’s knee is in good condition and scans have shown the injury has fully healed, and he is scheduled to train with his team-mates for the first time in eight months.
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Martinez is a key player in United’s central defence, with Amorim also having Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Lenny Yolo and Aiden Haven as options. His eventual return will likely increase competition for the three-man defensive position that has previously favored Martinez.
Casemiro spoke about his feelings about his impending return in an interview with the club’s website last week. “Lisha is on the final straight,” said the United midfielder. “He’s a very hard-working Soldier. He’s always working hard in the gym. He’s a very hard-working machine. He’s one of those players who loves to work hard.”
“I’m really happy that he’s here. He’s working really hard. We arrived at 9am (today) and it’s 4pm now and he’s been working. He has the experience to know when to work hard. I’m very happy to have him back. It’s not just me, we’re all happy, because he’s an essential player in a club that works hard.”
Martinez may not have been able to contribute in matches or on the training pitch, but he continues to be part of the group whenever possible. Amorim explained last month: “We miss Richa very much. Especially at this moment, we miss how aggressive he was in everything he did. We miss him so much.”
“But he’s always there in every meeting. During training, he sometimes finishes his own practice and stays to continue watching the training. We need Richa on this team.”
United face Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday, looking for a third successive win after defeating Sunderland and Liverpool. They currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League with 13 points after eight games.
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