Lisandro Martínez has been one of Manchester United’s standout players over the past few years, but injuries have repeatedly kept the center-back sidelined during his time in England. After eight months out with his latest setback, the Red Devils have now received a positive injury update on the Argentine defender.
The 27-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee on February 2, during Matchday 24 of last season’s Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace. Since then, United have struggled to find stability in defense, with head coach Rúben Amorim often deploying Luke Shaw as a makeshift center-back. However, Martínez is now set to provide a major boost to the back line.
According to Sky Sports, Martínez is expected to return to full training with Manchester United after more than eight months out. The defender received positive results from a recent scan on his left knee, making him a potential option for upcoming fixtures.
Injuries have plagued Martínez since his arrival at Old Trafford. He has dealt with two metatarsal fractures across the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons, as well as a collateral ligament sprain. With this latest ACL injury, the “Butcher” has missed 33 games for the Red Devils and could still sit out a few more as he regains full fitness.
Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United is stretchered off of the pitch after picking up an injury.
Manchester United continue to struggle in the Premier League despite spending more than $270 million on new signings, sitting 10th in the table with 10 points after seven games. Under growing pressure, the Red Devils will visit Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday. Martínez is not expected to feature as the club takes a cautious approach to his recovery, but his return will be a crucial boost as the season progresses.
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Martínez, a key asset for Amorim’s United
Throughout the 2025–26 season, Manchester United have struggled to find consistency in their performances, falling short against title contenders like Arsenal, suffering a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, narrowly beating Chelsea, and then stumbling again against Brentford. Amid this rollercoaster run, defensive solidity has remained one of the team’s biggest concerns.
In September, ahead of the clash with Chelsea, manager Rúben Amorim discussed Martínez’s recovery process: “It’s really important. When you have that injury, you have that time where you recover a lot of things really hard, then there is the boring part where it looks like you don’t go to the next step.”
The Portuguese coach also highlighted how much the team misses Martínez’s presence and leadership. “We miss Licha a lot, especially in this moment, we miss his aggression in everything he does, we miss him. But he’s always there in every meeting. In training, he sometimes finishes his and stays to watch the training. We need Licha in this team,” he concluded.
