Erik ten Hag has had his say on the devastating Lisandro Martinez injury blow.
Yesterday, Manchester United were dealt a devastating injury blow. The Red Devils will now be without Lisandro Martinez for the next two-to-three months with a recurrence of the foot injury that plagued him at the back end of last season.
It seems the problem never truly healed, which could explain Martinez’s stop-start campaign. Despite having the whole summer to work on the problem, it sadly hasn’t worked out quite the way both club and player have planned.
Now, in all probability, we will not see Martinez back on the field before the end of this calendar year. The Argentine has been a key factor for United since his arrival from Ajax last summer. Now, Erik ten Hag will have to work his magic without the aggressive central defender.
The gaffer has since spoken out on the blow, confirming that the Reds will miss the Argentine. On a personal level, he stated that Martinez has to be strong, believing he will fight back due to his hardy nature.
“That’s really sad, disappointing news,” Erik told club reporters. “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 has to be strong,” added the boss. “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.”
Honestly, this one stings. Martinez is probably the most important defender at the club when all is said and done. Raphael Varane may be the most talented, but his availability has always been a problem.
Thinking forward, if the Frenchman picks up an injury, that’d immediately thrust either Harry Maguire or Jonny Evans back into the starting line-up. I respect what both have done over the years, but that’s hardly the ideal scenario for a side that want to be competing for every trophy possible.
I just hope that this isn’t the start of the end for Martinez. These sort of injuries are notoriously tough to overcome and it can also have a mental effect on the Argentine. Let’s just hope this is just a small setback, with Licha coming back strong in the second half of the season.
Do you think Lisandro Martinez will ever get back to his best after this? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
