Summary Manchester United's victory over West Ham was overshadowed by a serious knee injury to centre-back Lisandro Martinez, who is expected to be out of action for at least two months. Martinez's absence will be a significant blow to United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, as he is statistically one of the most impactful players in the squad. His two-month absence will see him miss crucial games against rivals like Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea, and potentially Liverpool, potentially impacting United's chances of a top-four finish.
On Sunday, Manchester United beat West Ham 3-0 at Old Trafford, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring for the third Premier League match in a row and Alejandro Garnacho netting a double in the second half. United, who scored in stoppage time to beat Wolves 4-3 last Thursday, have now moved up to sixth place in the table and closed to within eight points off the top four.
However, the victory was marred by another injury for centre-back Lisandro Martinez, who was making just his second league start since September after missing 105 days and 22 games with a foot injury. The Argentine initially tried to play on after hurting his knee, but he ultimately had to go off on 71 minutes, and Erik ten Hag expressed immediate concern post-match.
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."
Martinez faces two months out
Ten Hag's fears have now been confirmed, with Sky Sports breaking the news out of Carrington that Martinez is set to be out until April after suffering a "serious" injury in a significant blow to their slim hopes of Champions League qualification.
The on-air update went as follows: “We’ve got breaking news from Manchester United, and if you’re a United fan it’s really bad news. It’s been confirmed that Lisandro Martinez suffered a serious knee injury during that win over West Ham yesterday and he’s expected to be out for at least two months.”
Fan favourite Martinez to miss Manchester derby
This is an almighty setback for Ten Hag and United, just as they were starting to build some momentum. When Martinez is on the field, United outscore their opponent on xG by an average of 0.56 per 90 minutes, which statistically makes him the third-most impactful player in the squad.
Striker Man Utd are in pole position for will change clubs this summer
He could be such an exciting addition at Old Trafford.
ByHenry JacksonFeb 6, 2024
Martinez is a favourite at Old Trafford, having been named Fans' Footballer of the Year in 2022 and then finished third in the Player of the Season voting behind Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Lisandro Martinez
Knee
Early April
Anthony Martial
Groin
Late March
Tyrell Malacia
Knee
Mid-February
Mason Mount
Calf
Mid-February
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Unknown
Mid-February
A two-month absence will see him miss games against rivals like Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and potentially Liverpool too. Time will tell whether United are even in contention for a top-four finish by the time he returns, or if they've made any movement on possible new centre-backs by then, like the heavily linked Jarrad Branthwaite.
