Manchester United have been handed an update on Lisandro Martínez in the immediate aftermath of a Premier League loss to Man City.
Lisandro Martínez has been unavailable since February for Manchester United, with the Argentine international suffering an ACL tear during a 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace.
The 27-year-old is a beloved member of the squad by fans, known for his crunching tackles and South American fighting spirit, but has missed a season’s worth of fixtures through injury across his three seasons at United so far.
Martínez has been with the squad for most of his rehabilitation since the start of 2025’s pre-season, and was in attendance at the Etihad to watch United’s 3-0 loss against Manchester City on Sunday.
With United conceding three and Martínez having previously played well against Erling Haaland, there’s something to be said for his return becoming a significant moment for United.
Martínez is expected back in a month or so
Initial indications stated that Martínez would not be back from his injury until around November. Although there was hope that he would be able to return to the squad in September, the initial estimate looks to have been more accurate.
According to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, Martínez is planning to make his return to United’s squad in late October or early November.
Amid his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup next summer, United have no plans to try and accelerate his return to the squad, and want to give him plenty of time to recover fully and the chance to stay fit for the remainder of the campaign.
This would mark a possible return date as possibly the away fixture against Forest on 1 November, or possibly the week after against Tottenham on 8 November. However, both of these fixtures are subject to change.
It has also been reported elsewhere that once he returns to action, United would like to sit down and discuss terms of a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in June 2027.
Amorim will want to drop Shaw for Martinez
While Luke Shaw initially had a good start to the season, his “poor” performance against City, and especially his defending for Phil Foden’s first-half header, has left much to be desired.
There is little doubt that when fit, Martínez is United’s best option for the left centre-back position, and following Shaw’s admission that he would rather play as a left wing-back, the Englishman may vacate his place on the left of the back three entirely when Martínez returns.
“Currently, I’m playing left centre-back and I’m content, but I still see myself more of a wing-back,” Shaw told Sky Sports last week. “The manager knows this, but he’s the one who decides. I’m happy to play anywhere.”
At the moment, Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu is United’s only senior left wing-back, but once Martínez returns, Shaw could then be moved to become Dorgu’s deputy, with Martínez and Ayden Heaven then being rotated on the left side of defence.
However, with Amorim’s place at United also under serious threat, by the time Martínez returns, United could be playing under a new manager with a four at the back formation, which would completely reset the pecking order in defence.
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