Lisandro Martinez's Devastating Setback: Man Utd Star Facing Prolonged Sideline due to Worsened Foot Injury
Man Utd's Lisandro Martinez faces an extended spell on the sidelines after aggravating his foot injury Sergio Reguilon will also miss the Crystal Palace match due to a minor injury Ten Hag highlights the players' struggle with the increasing schedule Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, or Jonny Evans could step in for Martinez
Lisandro Martinez might require additional surgery to fully recover from his crippling foot injury. The centre-back for Manchester United and Argentina has exacerbated a metatarsal issue that he previously underwent surgery for in April.
The club reported that he played with the injury during the losses against Brighton and Bayern Munich following the setback suffered in the defeat at Arsenal on September 3.
The medical team at United is currently evaluating the most effective recovery approach for him, including the possibility of a second operation.
Martinez's injury has dealt another blow to the club, possibly sidelining him until December. As a result, either Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, or Jonny Evans will step in as a replacement against Crystal Palace this Saturday and for the foreseeable future.
Manager Erik ten Hag is currently facing a shortage of left-backs due to Sergio Reguilon's recent addition to the injured list. Long-term absences of Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have exacerbated the situation. As a temporary solution, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was deployed in the left-back position during the Carabao Cup victory over Palace. Notably, Amrabat showcased his skills in an inverted full-back role, leaving a positive impression on his Old Trafford debut. Additionally, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was unavailable for the match.
Diogo Dalot is the sole fit recognized full-back for United, and although he can play on the left, Ten Hag has no other options for cover as Wan-Bissaka is still unavailable. Despite coping with numerous injury problems at the start of the season, Ten Hag now has the advantage of having Mason Mount, Amrabat, Raphael Varane, and Maguire fully fit and ready for selection.
Ten Hag: The players can't deal with ever-expanding schedule
Ten Hag acknowledges that the players are finding it challenging to manage the constantly growing football schedule."We had to increase the size of the squad this season due to the demands placed on the players," Ten Hag commented.
The previous season was extended due to the World Cup taking place. This meant that we had to play a longer season, including the FA Cup [final] and then the Nations League, resulting in a shorter break.
With each passing year, the schedule continues to increase. The players bear a significant amount of pressure and workload - it becomes an overwhelming burden.
"Other colleagues have pointed to that, I have too, but the schedule keeps expanding. The players can't deal anymore with this overload and that is what you see in many squads."
