Lisandro Martinez: Argentine defender set to undergo surgery, to be sidelined for months
Manchester United face one more injury blow in their ranks after Argentine World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez is set to undergo surgery due to his nursing metatarsal problem. He is slated to miss several crunch fixtures, with his absence unspecified at present.
Lisandro Martinez- the lion-hearted stopper
Lisandro Martinez has been one of the top stars in the Argentine colors over last few seasons. After joining from Ajax in 2022 by becoming the latest star to traverse the Ajax-Manchester Uniter corridor, he has been one of the regular starters for Erik Ten Hag, as the Dutchman has been impressed by the work ethics of Lisandro. Formerly plying his trade with the Dutch champions and owing to his exploits in the Ajax jersey, he earned a well-deserved National call with “Albiceleste”, and has been known as the lion-heart of the Argentine defense. He will always be remembered for his extensive techniques of clearing the ball with finesse, which involved putting his body down the line to win the ball back, as no one will forget his dying tackle against Australia in the final minutes of the game in the Round of 16, which often led to his comparisons with the legendary Javier Mascherano, owing to his last ditch heroics and never-say-never attitude.
Martinez got injured in his metatarsal during a Europa League knockout game against Sevilla earlier this year, and was forced to the sidelines for more than two months, thus ending his campaign with an injury. Although he was back with the first team and had vociferously participated in United’s pre-season friendlies, it was confirmed by the Premier League giants on Friday that his metatarsal injury has occurred again, and to avoid any further recurrences, he has decided to go for surgery.
Painkillers to the rescue
The Daily Mail has reported that ‘Licha’ will be undergoing the surgery today, and is expected to miss several games for United, as he is thought of being sidelined for more than three months, meaning he would be unable to take part in any United game this season. He had hobbled during United’s 1-3 defeat against Arsenal, where the Red Devils conceded two goals in the dying minutes to lose the game, before taking medication in order to continue playing for the club, showcasing his sheer dedication for the club.
He had been fielded during United’s successive losses to Brighton and Bayern, and further tests on his metatarsal showed that his foot has not healed completely, as it requires further surgery.
Manager Erik Ten Hag has expressed his sympathy on Lisandro’s injury, as he knows how valuable it would be for the United defense to regroup and go for a win in the later stages of the Premier League. The Red Devils are already in an awful position after facing several defeats, and with Martinez out, Ten Hag will be pondering upon several doubts as to who should be spearheading the defense for his side.
The gaffer was heard saying, “That’s really sad, disappointing news. He has to go through the same process and I’m really sorry for him. The squad will miss him. As you know, we have more injuries, so we always have to deal with it as a squad. As a club, we have to deal with injuries.”
He further mentioned about Licha’s never-say-never mentality, saying, “He has to be strong. He will fight back, I’m sure. He is a character. There is still a long season ahead and he will be fit. We have to do our job, to get ourselves in the right position, so he can contribute, and add quality, when he returns.”
