The £56.7m 'warrior' that could transform Man Utd's season after slow start under Ruben Amorim: opinion
Lisandro Martinez is edging closer to a return to first team action
Manchester United have had to play without one of their most important players for almost the entirety of Ruben Amorim’s tenure in charge. But all that could be about to change as they edge closer to welcoming back one of their most accomplished defenders in Lisandro Martinez.
The 27-year-old is believed to be progressing well with his recovery and could be reintroduced into the first team set-up in the coming weeks.
Martinez initially featured heavily under Amorim and is thought to be the manager’s preferred option on the left-side of defence, with Luke Shaw currently occupying that particular role in a makeshift capacity.
The former Ajax man who joined Unite for £56.7m rarely missed a match in the first few months of Amorim’s time with the club, but saw his season end prematurely in February when he sustained a devastating ACL injury in a 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
The Argentinian international’s injury led to a lengthy stoppage in the game at Old Trafford, with a visibly distraught Martinez being reduced to tears as he left the pitch on a stretcher.
"I think it is a serious situation. A bad situation for us and especially for Licha. I think we are going to see in the next days but I think it is a serious situation,” explained Amorim via the club website at the time.
“It's really hard on us, he's not just a great player but a strong character in the dressing room. Especially in this moment, it's hard for us.”
Man Utd have struggled immensely without Lisandro Martinez
Manchester United were in 13th position at the time of Lisandro Martinez’s injury but ultimately finished the season in 15th - marking their biggest lowpoint since relegation 1974.
In truth, they always seemed on course for a calamitous campaign. However, it's worth noting that they won just three of their final 14 league matches after the Argentine’s injury, which is a stark contrast to the eight they had managed in 24 games before that.
Martinez was one of the top performers in Ruben Amorim’s early months at Old Trafford. He was shortlisted for the club’s Player of the Month in January after scoring against Liverpool and registering an assist against Manchester City. While it’s worth noting he also managed to score the winning goal against Fulham.
Remarkably, Martinez, who missed nearly half of last season due to injury, registered just one less goal than Joshua Zirkzee and only two fewer than Rasmus Hoijlund. It’s also worth noting that he kept five clean sheets, which is is the second highest of any player in United’s backline behind Diogo Dalot (8) despite playing significantly less matches than the likes of Mathjis de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui, who played a lot more matches.
Lisandro Martinez could transform Man Utd’s season
Man Utd have an average points per game of around 1.67 when Lisandro Martinez is on the pitch. Without him in comparison, United had an average of 0.5 per game at the time of his injury, and it’s unlikely that this record will have improved much baring in mind they’ve picked up just 23 points in the league from 21 games without him on the field.
Martinez was a key component in Erik ten Hag’s side that finished third in the league during the 2022/23 season, while winning a League Cup in the process. That year saw the team’s goalkeeper David de Gea pick up the golden glove for the most clean sheets as the Red Devils conceded 43 league goals - the joint third best in the competition that year. That same year, Martinez won a World Cup mid-season with Argentina, playing five times in the competition.
The following season, Martinez, who was labelled a ‘warrior’ by Ten Hag, didn’t play regularly, featuring just 11 times due to injury as the team slumped to eighth despite winning the FA Cup. However, it’s worth noting in the eight league games he did start, the team won six times. While it’s also worth noting he produced a masterful performance in the 2-1 win in the cup final over Manchester City to keep Erling Haaland and co at bay.
Ultimately, Martinez will take time to get back to his best levels and is unlikely to be thrown straight into the deep end with starts twice a week, particularly with his injury record in recent years. However, there’s little doubt that he’s a player that suits Amorim’s system and one that could transform United’s season once he gets back to his peak fitness levels.