Good news is hard to find in the aftermath of United’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, but at least fans can look forward to the return of Lisandro Martinez.
Confidential understands that Martinez has set his sights on being fit for the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on May 25 and hopes to get some minutes under his belt in the remaining three Premier League games – possibly as soon as Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The combative Argentina defender was a star of Erik ten Hag‘s first season in charge and has been hugely missed in his second campaign.
Martinez has made just 11 appearances after needing a second operation on a broken metatarsal and then sustained knee ligament damage against West Ham in February just four games into his comeback.
The former Ajax player’s absence has been even more keenly felt because Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Willy Kambwala have been sidelined as well.
Lisandro Martinez has endured injury misery this season but hopes to make the FA Cup final
The Argentine watches from the sidelines as United scraped into the final against Coventry
His return would represent a major boost for under-pressure United boss Erik ten Hag
Evans made his return at Palace alongside emergency centre back Casemiro but it didn’t go well as United suffered their heaviest defeat of the season.
Brailsford ready to take a step back
Sir Dave Brailsford has been at the forefront of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Old Trafford revolution since the Ineos billionaire invested in United, but Confidential understands that the former Great Britain cycling supremo is preparing to take a more withdrawn role.
Brailsford became Ratcliffe’s eyes and ears around the club after the £1.3billion deal was announced at Christmas, liaising with manager Erik ten Hag, coaches and staff around the training ground as he looked at ways Ineos could improve the whole operation.
He has held a number of one-on-one meetings with the players who have been impressed with his approach, according to sources.
They say that Brailsford comes across as a good listener and someone who is committed to creating a positive environment.
The 60-year-old Ineos sporting director has made it clear, however, that he plans to return to his base in Monaco in September which will enable him to have more involvement with Nice, the French club also owned by Ratcliffe.
It’s understood the timing could depend on Dan Ashworth’s arbitration battle with Newcastle which will determine how soon he can start work as United’s new sporting director.
Brailsford has been largely filling that role, in much the same way that Ineos chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc is acting as the club’s CEO until Omar Berrada begins his new job on July 13.
Sir Dave Brailsford (left, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe) is to take a step back from United duties
United in the market to sell Mason
It is easy to lose track of the amount of things United need to sort this summer, such is the scale of the task at hand.
But Confidential has learned that staff at the club were recently told in a briefing that selling Mason Greenwood is United’s No 1 priority.
The 22-year-old has been out on a season-long loan at Getafe in LaLiga and has managed 10 goals and six assists from 32 appearances.
United badly need to bolster their attack and ease the goalscoring burden on Rasmus Hojlund – but Greenwood is not seen as the answer, with United eager to sell.
Getafe are keen to secure another loan deal but United are likely to shop the young striker around given his return to form.
Charges of attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behaviour – Greenwood denied all of the charges – were discontinued against him in February 2023 and United initially looked to be planning to reintegrate him.
A fierce backlash from supporters and leading women’s charities saw the club reverse that decision and a group of staff have since been told that selling Greenwood, rather than bringing him back after his loan, is their top priority this summer.
Mason Greenwood has impressed during his loan at Getafe with United minded to sell him
Goals elusive for Mount
Nine months after he signed from Chelsea, Mason Mount still hasn’t been on the pitch for a single Manchester United goal in the Premier League games he’s started.
Mount was handpicked by Ten Hag to make the £55million move but his debut season has been wrecked by injury.
The 4-0 humiliation at Crystal Palace on Monday was only the fifth league game he’s started for the club.
In three of them, at Tottenham and home and away against Palace, United have failed to score at all.
In his other two starts, at home to Wolves on the opening weekend and at home to Brentford, Mount had already been substituted by the time United found the target.
So many names are being talked about as Euro contenders but Mount isn’t mentioned at all despite being a starter for Gareth Southgate in the last final against Italy.
Mason Mount has failed to see United score a Premier League goal in the games he’s started
Onana’s gown gift for kids
Andre Onana is making good use of his Manchester United goalkeeper’s jerseys – he’s turning them into hospital gowns for children.
United’s No 1 visited the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital last week when he surprised a number of children and their parents on the wards with signed shirts as well as their new hospital gowns.
Onana is said to have spent an hour with sick children playing games and taking photos.
The gowns are designed to make children more comfortable in hospital and create some positivity at what can be a difficult time.
The Andre Onana Foundation is dedicated to providing free medical care for under-privileged communities in Africa, but the Cameroon international has expressed an interest in helping children in Manchester as well since he joined United from Inter Milan last year, and he came up with the gown project.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana has turned his jerseys into hospital gowns for children
Gala no-go for sub Bayindir
There was plenty of confusion in United circles when they discovered a gala dinner in the city centre on Monday night was advertising the attendance of three squad players.
Human Appeal and the Papiss Cisse Foundation hosted a black tie event at the Hilton Hotel, and briefed beforehand that Altay Bayindir, Anthony Martial and Victor Lindelof were among the ‘confirmed’ attendees.
A confused Confidential put this to United who were left bewildered – even more so given Bayindir was going to be on the bench down at Crystal Palace.
Given how humiliating a night it proved to be at Selhurst Park, a red carpet at the Hilton would have been a much better option for the back-up goalkeeper.
United’s Altay Bayindir was on duty at Crystal Palace rather than a gala dinner on Monday
Scouts run rule over Sousa
United had scouts in Portugal on Saturday to see FC Porto win 3-0 away at Chaves.
Maybe it had something to do with 17-year-old winger Goncalo Sousa making his first-team debut as an 83rd-minute substitute.
The exciting young winger has attracted plenty of interest from around Europe with his performances in the UEFA Youth League, and that will only increase now he is stepping up to play for the senior side.
Goncalo Sousa plays for Porto in the UEFA Youth League semi-final against AC Milan
Cup glory for rising star Gabriel
What a few weeks it has been for Under-13s star Joseph Junior Andreou Gabriel.
The youngster, who was unveiled at United in 2022 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Jnr, scored an extra-time winner over the weekend to fire the Under-14s to Albert Phelan Cup North glory.
While Kai Rooney bagged a crucial goal in the semi-finals it was Gabriel who was the hero in the final, held at Aston Villa’s training ground.
Recently, he got the chance to warm-up with the Under-18s recently ahead of their Premier League Cup final against Manchester City,
There is a lot of hype around the youngster, who boasts 62,200 followers on his Instagram page and is also a Nike athlete.
Given his ability to continue to play above his age-group, the sky is the limit.
