One of the best Manchester United signings of the past decade has undoubtedly been very few. The 5’9 Argentine Lisandro Martinez surely comes on that list, as his impact has brought spark and consistency to the Manchester United team, especially the defense that has been so vulnerable over the years. His signing also has a drawback, given the Red Devils’ unfortunate streak of luck. Martinez’s recurring injury concerns have put Manchester United in tough defensive situations since his arrival, and it seems his fitness isn’t getting any better as time passes.
Manchester United’s Defensive fragility without Martinez
Lisandro Martinez’s signing reminds every Manchester United fan of a red who once wore the great royal shirt, Eric Bailly. The Ivorian International was bought in by Jose Mourinho when he was appointed head coach of Manchester United in 2016. Bailly was packed with immense talent and a ceiling as a center-back. Still, his United career was unsuccessful due to injury concerns, and he finally left the club after six years to return to Villareal.
Martinez might be following the same path, but due to his aggressive, tenacious style of play, the Argentine is targeted with many injury concerns, which massively affects Manchester United. Martinez has missed a remarkable 265 days from injuries since signing for the former Premier League Champions. Due to calf strains, and knee and foot problems, he was essentially sidelined for most of the 23/24 season, missing 42 games and being out for nearly 188 days.
As a result, Manchester United finished eighth, their worst finish in Premier League history, and conceded 58 goals. All they had to brag about was the FA Cup win against rivals Manchester City, in which Lisandro Martinez played and displayed a stellar defensive performance against one of the best forwards in the world, Erling Haaland. Tells us a lot about the Argentine’s contribution to the team.
The inconsistency of players like Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof has affected Ten Hag and his men the most during Martinez’s injury absences. Last season, United was greatly impacted by careless basic mistakes that resulted in goals, with Martinez missing almost 45 games due to injury. To compete with Manchester City and Arsenal, who have world-class defenders in their ranks, including Ruben Dias and William Saliba, United cannot compete with such defensive fragility.
Martinez is important not only for his club but also for his National team. Argentina won the Copa America 2024 with only one goal conceded from open play because of his strong defensive abilities. His vision, accurate passing, passion, capability to win 80% of his duels, and, most importantly, the winning mentality he possesses is what United has been missing for so many years. Pep Guardiola gave Martinez high praise as he named him one of the Top 5 center backs in the world when he was fully fit.
Can United keep Relying on Martinez?
The biggest example of Manchester United’s reliance on Martinez is when he suffered from a metatarsal fracture in the 22/23 season in the UEFA Europa League Quarter-final match and was out for the rest of the season for 77 days. As a result, Sevilla humiliated United 3-0 in the second game and produced a forgettable defensive effort, eliminating United from the competition. His absence deprived them of not one but two trophies as they also lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City last year.
The Red Devils did finish the season with a Carabao Cup and third in the league, but they were eliminated from a European quarterfinal and lost a domestic final when Martinez was sidelined through injury, depicts the whole story and the Argentine’s significance that season.
Since the arrival of INEOS, United has recruited some defense personnel to have some depth and help Lisandro Martinez with his injury woes. Adding Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, who has sadly been out of action for at least three months due to injury, expands Ten Hag’s defensive options. However, it continues considering the dreadful Manchester United injury record since last year, where they were the team with the most injuries.
Martinez and De Ligt were both substituted out of the most recent game against Southampton, which they won 3-0, as a precaution against potential injuries, but thankfully, both are fit. Should Manchester United stick with Lisandro Martinez and his quality and ignore the injury woes? Or should they slowly move on from the Argentine…
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