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
Friday 29 September 2023 14:54, UK
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is facing an extended spell out with injury.
Martinez has aggravated a foot injury he suffered in April at the end of last season.
The club says 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.
Next steps are being considered as assessments continue, the statement added, but Martinez will miss an "extended period". He is expected to be out for around two months.
Man Utd will also be without Sergio Reguilon for Saturday's visit of Crystal Palace in the Premier League due to a minor injury. This leaves Man Utd without a senior left-back.
Manager Erik ten Hag has contended with a raft of injury issues in the early stages of this season, but now has Mason Mount, Sofyan Amrabat, Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire fit and available.
Martinez's injury means Maguire, Victor Lindelof or Jonny Evans will fill in against Palace on Saturday and for the foreseeable future as United cope without Martinez.
Reguilon, who was brought in on loan from Tottenham as emergency left-back cover for injured pair Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, was covered by Amrabat in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Palace in the Carabao Cup third round.
Amrabat played as an inverted full-back, impressing on his Old Trafford debut.
Diogo Dalot, United's only remaining fit recognised full-back, can be used on the left but with Aaron Wan-Bissaka still out Ten Hag has run out of options for cover.
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."
