Lisandro Martinez suffers setback during training | OneFootball

Manchester United’s defence bore a threadbare look during their defeat at the hands of Newcastle last week.

At the heart of the defence, both Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez remained sidelined, which was a huge miss for Michael Carrick.

The Dutchman was among the most consistent performers in the first half of the campaign, while the World Cup winner’s tenacity at the back and his ability to produce line-breaking passes are seen as key tools in United’s build-up play.

As things stand, the Red Devils will once again be without the World Cup winner for their all-important Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Lack of warriors at the back

Initially, it was expected that the Argentine would only miss the Everton game, but he has ended up missing the last three matches.

According to The Daily Mail, that absence is likely to last at least one more game. The issue is not considered to be particularly serious, but his recovery has been delayed due to a slight reaction during training.

It is suspected to be a calf strain, and the coaching staff want to be cautious and not rush the former Ajax star back too soon to avoid losing him for a longer period.

“Lisandro Martinez is expected to miss United’s crucial top-four clash with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday after taking longer than initially hoped to recover from a calf strain.

Lisandro Martinez to miss Villa game as well

“Martinez was only expected to miss one game having picked up the injury in training after last month’s 1-1 draw at West Ham, but the United defender has already been out for three matches and is likely to miss at least one more.

“Sources insist the problem isn’t too serious, but Martinez suffered a slight reaction in training and it was decided to take a more cautious approach with his recovery. United want to avoid a similar situation with Martinez to Matthijs de Ligt, who hasn’t played since the end of November.”

This setback comes at the worst possible time, with the Villa game taking on added significance in the race for Champions League football following the disappointing result at St. James’ Park.

The Argentina international‘s body is starting to break down at frequent intervals due to the serious injuries he has suffered since his switch to Old Trafford.

However, the 20-time English league champions do not seem to mind, with the club focused on offering Lisandro Martinez a contract extension to ward off interested parties like Barcelona.

Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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