Lisandro Martinez has received high praise from his national manager for his efforts to get back on the pitch despite his troublesome injury issues.
Lisandro Martinez has been sidelined since the beginning of February after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Fans have been eager to see the Argentine return to the field as he shone in his previous seasons, particularly his debut season under Erik Ten Hag, despite heavy doubters over the defender’s physicality.
Rúben Amorim’s side are currently five games unbeaten, most recently coming away with a point after a nervy 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a late Matthijs De Ligt equaliser.
However, with four goals conceded in the last two games, there are question marks over whether Manchester United could improve defensively, and Martinez’s extra effort during the international break has gained the appreciation of his national coach, Lionel Scaloni.
Scaloni praises Martinez’s work rate for Argentina
Despite Martinez not being called up to the Argentina squad for the final international break of the calendar year, the 27-year-old has made the trip with his national teammates to continue his journey back to full fitness.
Martinez will train with the Argentina squad for the remainder of the break before he returns to Carrington, where his comeback to Amorim’s side looks ever closer.
National boss, Lionel Scaloni, has come forward to praise Martinez, as well as Real Madrid’s Franco Mastanuono, for their efforts to come and train with the squad despite not being selected.
Scaloni told El Grafico, “Lisandro [Martinez] wasn’t going to be there because he hasn’t been playing, but he’s a player we need to see how he’s doing.”
“He’s highly regarded within the group, and this is a boost for him.”
Martinez featured consistently for Scaloni’s side in the 2022 World Cup as his side were triumphant, and the defender’s availability as a left-footed, elite ball-playing defender could be crucial in the next rendition of the competition in 2026.
When can Martinez return to Amorim’s XI?
With Luke Shaw starting every Premier League game this season for United, the left-centre-back position looks to be cemented for him. However, the 30-year-old has a strenuous injury record for United, and doubts will remain over his fitness levels and reliability for the future.
There is no guarantee that we will see Martinez feature on United’s team sheet as they take on their next opponents, Everton, at Old Trafford.
Amorim is not expected to provide any further information on the Argentinian until his pre-match press conference
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In the meantime, the defender continues to work hard with his national side ahead of their next match in a friendly against Australia on Monday.
Martinez will look to regain his position in the squad to help retain their World Cup title in North America next year.
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