Man Utd defender Lisandro Martínez will return to first-team training after the international break. The Argentine international, who joined from Ajax for £47 million, has been sidelined since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee against Crystal Palace in February.
Though Martínez has been eager to return since resuming light training in July, the club has taken a cautious approach to his recovery given the availability of multiple centre-backs. The 27-year-old World Cup winner is not only a key leader in the dressing room but also a member of the team’s leadership group. Insiders revealed that during manager Rúben Amorim’s difficult period under pressure, Martínez grew frustrated at being unable to play, as he wanted to ease the manager’s burden and contribute on the pitch.
Last week’s MRI results showed his knee is recovering well, and Martínez is about to enter the final phase of rehabilitation training, striving to return to Amorim’s three-centre-back system. This return comes at a timely moment for Amorim, whose position has been shaky recently—Man Utd has lost three Premier League games this season, and only got a brief reprieve after a comfortable home win over Sunderland last Saturday.
After the victory over the Black Cats, the Portuguese manager urged his players to use this as a chance to build a winning streak. He admitted: “The team has always lacked consistency, whether there are breaks between games or not. The most frustrating thing is that our away performances have never matched our home form. We need to show with actions that every player is willing to give their all for every attack and defense transition.”
With Man Utd set to visit Anfield to face Liverpool after the international break, Martínez’s return may become a key factor in turning around the club’s away struggles.
