Man Utd also without Sergio Reguilon for Saturday's visit of Crystal Palace in the league due to a minor injury; follow the match blog on the Sky Sports website and app from 1.30pm; kick-off 3pm; Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof or Jonny Evans could cover for Martinez
Saturday 30 September 2023 11:52, UK
Lisandro Martinez may need further surgery to finally get over his debilitating foot injury.
The Manchester United and Argentina centre-back has aggravated a metatarsal problem, after needing surgery on the bone in April.
The club said he played with the injury in the defeats against Brighton and Bayern Munich after the setback occurred in the loss at Arsenal on September 3.
United medical staff are still assessing how best for him to recover and discussing whether a second operation might be the best course of action.
It means Martinez could be out until December, in the latest injury setback for the club.
Martinez's injury means Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof or Jonny Evans will fill in against Crystal Palace on Saturday and for the foreseeable future.
Manager Erik ten Hag is already without an out-and-out left-back after Sergio Reguilon was added to the treatment room this week.
Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are out long-term and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was used in the position in the Carabao Cup win over Palace, impressing in an inverted full-back role on his Old Trafford debut. Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka also missed the tie.
Diogo Dalot, United's only remaining fit recognised full-back, can be used on the left but with Wan-Bissaka still out Ten Hag has run out of options for cover.
Ten Hag has contended with a raft of injury issues in the early stages of this season, but now has Mason Mount, Amrabat, Raphael Varane and Maguire back fit and available.
Ten Hag says players are struggling to cope with the ever-expanding football calendar.
"We already expanded the squad this season because [of the demands on the players]," he said.
"We had the World Cup in the middle of last season so it was a longer season. We had to play a longer season with the FA Cup [final] and then the Nations League, so had a shorter break.
"Every time the schedule is expanding. The load on the players is too much - it is such a big overload.
"Other colleagues have pointed to that, I have too, but the schedule keeps expanding. The players can't deal anymore with this overload and that is what you see in many squads."
