Manchester United star unlikely to feature for club against Brighton after picking up a knock before the international break - Reports
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is reportedly unlikely to feature against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday, September 16.
The Argentine defender appeared to be injured during United's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal before the international break. Manager Erik ten Hag replaced him in the 67th minute with Harry Maguire.
Martinez was then named in Argentina's squad for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and he traveled with the team, calming some nerves around his injury. However, the defender didn't even make the matchday squads for both their clashes against Ecuador and Bolivia.
As per The Telegraph, Martinez could remain on the sidelines when Manchester United host Brighton on Saturday. This would come as a big blow for Ten Hag, who has a number of defenders out because of injuries.
Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia are all out injured. Varane is expected to return next month. Hence, Ten Hag might have to use the centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof against Brighton.
Martinez has been a key player for Manchester United since arriving from Ajax last summer. He helped them keep eight clean sheets in 27 Premier League appearances last season.
Jamie Carragher slams Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for Harry Maguire incident
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has slammed Andre Onana for shouting at Harry Maguire during a pre-season friendly in July.
Maguire has been receiving immense criticism in recent years, including this season. England manager Gareth Southgate recently came out in support of the defender.
Former England defender Carragher recently wrote an article in The Telegraph, giving his take on the matter. He also slammed Manchester United goalkeeper Onana after the latter screamed at Maguire against Dortmund.
An error from the English defender led to Onana, who was playing just his second game for the club, having to put in an excellent save. After making the save, he ran towards Maguire, screaming. Refering to the incident, Carragher wrote:
“One of the most distasteful incidents of all occurred during the friendly with Borussia Dortmund in July when new signing Andre Onana started yelling at Maguire – in my view disgracefully playing to the gallery to endear himself to Manchester United fans."
He also said:
“I watched that in disbelief, but it said everything about what has gone wrong. Maguire was still the club captain then. He should have reacted furiously, put Onana in his box and demanded respect. Instead, he has the persona of someone whose confidence and authority is utterly broken.”
Maguire's mother has also recently put out a statement on social media regarding the harsh treatment of her son in the media. The defender, though, could have a chance to redeem himself against Brighton on Saturday.