Lisandro Martinez could be the answer to Ruben Amorim’s aggressiveness plea, although it could spell trouble for one of Manchester United’s other defenders.
Lisandro Martinez is back training at Manchester United’s training facilities after being out since February as a result of a torn ACL.
The Argentine is coming back into the frame at a time when the mood is positive for the Reds, given their recent form in the league, where they have picked up ten points from their last four fixtures.
Despite the United head coach, Ruben Amorim, praising the Argentine’s progression in training, the manager remains cautious over Martinez making his return too early.
The centre back didn’t make the bench for the most recent Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest, where the Reds fought hard for a 2-2 draw, following goals from Casemiro and Amad.
Is Martinez the perfect fit?
Former Red Jonny Evans recently revealed that Amorim often likes to make his central centre-back push unto midfiled to make space for the goalkeeper, and amid Martínez’s return, his type of play could be perfect to ahve in the role.
However, United’s wider centre-backs have been doing something similar by pushing up to midfield, and Martínez’s attributes could see him slot straight back into the starting XI as the player who pushes up into midfield when needed.
“[Defenders] are aggressive nowadays, and sometimes they are the midfielders because you don’t have a lot of space between the lines,” Amorim said.
“They are the players who have the game in front of them. When the central defenders play well with the ball, we play well. It’s something that Licha does really well and can take the ball.”
Martinez’s aggressive style of play will be refreshing to have back in the squad for United, and given his previous experience as a midfielder for Ajax, he could have just the qualities to slot into Amorim’s set-up.
Where does this leave Shaw?
With Martinez being a favourite for the Reds, there is no doubt that people expect that once fully fit, he will be back to being a constant feature in the starting XI.
This could have a negative knock-on effect for Luke Shaw, as it may leave the 30-year-old left out of the lineup for Amorim.
READ MORE: Steve Bruce praises Rúben Amorim for three ‘big calls’ that earned Manchester United £87.5m
Although there is the possibility that United’s longest-serving player could feature as a left wing-back for United, this role could be far too physically demanding for a player like Shaw, who has been riddled by injuries.
Martinez is unlikely to just be hoisted back into the lineup for the Reds, and will most definitely see his minutes managed, so it gives Amorim the chance to experiment with some rotations at the back.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.