Lisandro Martinez all smiles as he walks on the grass while kicking a football – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United’s injury crisis is what has let the team down the most in Erik ten Hag’s second season with the manager hardly having the luxury of picking his strongest XI.

The defence has been the worst hit with all four of the first-choice back four suffering long-term injuries at different points of the season which has forced Ten Hag to constantly reshuffle his pack.

Luke Shaw, out since the second game of the season, was spotted back in training but it is Lisandro Martinez who the team have missed the most with his precise passing and no-nonsense defending a hallmark of United’s great run last season.

Martinez spotted back in training

United have struggled to play out from the back in the Argentine’s absence while the defence has conceded a bucketload of goals, especially in the Champions League, which a fully-fit Martinez could certainly have prevented.

The World Cup winner was forced to undergo surgery for a metatarsal fracture he had suffered last season during the Europa League tie against Sevilla.

He returned in time for pre-season but he ended up aggravating the same injury at the start of the campaign, which led to his indifferent displays.

🚨 Lisandro Martinez watched his team-mates train at Carrington today, as he continues with the early stages of his recovery from a foot injury. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/9uEkvltJez

— United Update (@UnitedsUpdate) November 22, 2023

The 25-year-old went in for yet another surgery and was scheduled to be sidelined till the new year but in good news, the Argentina international was spotted watching his teammates training ahead of the game against Everton.

In a Sky Sports video, he was also seen walking comfortably on the grass along with a United coach and even kicked a ball around. He was all smiles in front of the camera.

Lisandro’s early return on the cards?

This potentially indicates that the former Ajax star has returned to individual training and an early return to action could be on the cards if everything goes according to plan.

Ten Hag prefers to have someone who is primarily left-footed to play on the left-hand side of the defence and in Martinez and Shaw’s absence, either Maguire, Lindelof or Evans have been played there but they have not excelled like the Argentine.

Despite his importance to the side, the United boss will be wary of throwing him into the deep end considering this was the second surgery he has had for the same problem in the space of a year.

Martinez has arguably been Ten Hag’s best signing so far and is a fan-favourite and he will need to hit top form once he comes back if he is to help United salvage the current campaign.