Argentine defender, Lisandro Martinez, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a fractured metatarsal in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla on Thursday, April 13.
In a further blow for United, the club also confirmed Martinez’s central-defensive partner Raphael Varane is expected to be out for a “few weeks” with a foot injury after being forced off at half-time in the same game.
The Premier League club made the declaration via a statement issued on Friday night.
Martinez fell to the floor unchallenged in the closing stages of the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford and was carried off the pitch by Sevilla’s Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel, two of his Argentina team-mates.
The statement read: “Lisandro Martinez has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after fracturing a metatarsal bone in his foot.
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“However, the Argentinian defender is expected to make a full recovery in time to be ready for the start of next season.”
Martinez has been a key part of Erik ten Hag’s side since joining his manager in swapping Ajax for United last summer, going on to play 45 games in all competitions in his debut season.
The injuries to Martinez and Varane leave Ten Hag short of options in central defence, but the manager insisted ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest he is confident Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof will be able to fill the breach.
Ten Hag said: “I have a lot of faith. I think I have decent centre-halves and they proved that in the past, they have proved this season.
“I think we have four or five very good centre-halves who can do the job.”
Maguire is the United captain but has struggled to win a place in Ten Hag’s side, starting just six Premier League matches so far this season, while he scored an unfortunate own goal in stoppage time to hand Sevilla their equaliser on Thursday.
Lindelof has only started five league games under Ten Hag, with the manager often preferring to use Luke Shaw at centre-back rather than his usual position of left-back.
Ten Hag received a timely boost regarding Shaw this week, with the manager revealing he is in contention to return against Forest after missing the last two games.
United will have to make do with that trio for their final nine Premier League games of the season, with Ten Hag’s side currently in the fourth and final Champions League spot, three points above fifth-placed Tottenham.
United also face an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton at Wembley on Sunday, April 23, while their Europa League return leg in Seville is next Thursday.
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