Manchester United continued their unbeaten start to the year of 2024 with a compelling 3-0 thrashing of West Ham United in the Premier League. However, they ended up suffering an issue regarding key defender Lisandro Martinez in the clash.
Manchester United Get Lisandro Martinez Scare
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What Did Ten Hag Say About Martinez?
The Argentina international had to be substituted in the second half against the Hammers after picking up an issue with his knee following a tussle with opposition defender Vladimir Coufal. Erik ten Hag has now confirmed that he has suffered a worrying injury and hurt himself in that challenge.
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After the game, he said: “I can’t say but it doesn’t look good. There is a bad concern. We have to wait for a few days for the diagnosis. We do everything to get the right diagnosis and see what is the damage.
“He is very sad, very disappointed. We all feel really with him. First of all, it is a personal disaster when it is really bad, but also for the team it is really bad because he definitely brings us a lot. “It is very bad – very bad for him, very bad for the team. He is a very important player for us. We have centre-backs who can fill in but he brings spirit to the team, apart from his football abilities.”
Who Can Replace Martinez In United Team?
The injury for Martinez, who was hailed as “outstanding” in his debut season, can be particularly gutting for the Red Devils because he only recently returned to action after recovering from a foot injury that forced him to undergo surgery last year. There are, however, options for Ten Hag to replace him in the lineup.
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Victor Lindelof, for one, can slot into the left-sided centre-back role along with the likes of Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans, with Harry Maguire preferred on the right side. If the Dutch manager wants a left-footed centre-back, Luke Shaw can play as a makeshift centre-back too. With United having some key Premier League games going forward, as they look to get closer to the top-4 race, Ten Hag will hope that the other defenders can slot in for Martinez for the period of games which he’ll miss due to this setback.
