Sport
Manchester United fans’ worst fears ‘confirmed’ as Lisandro Martinez’s season looks to be over
Three letters - not good ones.

Manchester United fans might want to look away now as reports are claiming that Lisandro Martinez’s season could be over after being stretchered off this past weekend.
The Argentine World Cup winner was visibly emotional when he was forced off in the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday and manager Ruben Amorim was quick to admit that it looked to be a “serious situation” in his post-match interviews.
Martinez has already spent a good chunk of his time at Old Trafford on the sidelines following a recurring knee issue and it now appears as though Man United’s worst fears have become a reality once again as the defender is said to have suffered serious damage to his left knee.
According to TyC Sports‘ Gastón Edul, the first-choice centre-back has torn his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and given the severity of the injury, he is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Lisandro Martínez tore his ACL against Crystal Palace, reports @gastonedul.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 3, 2025
He will miss the rest of the season. Damn 💔 pic.twitter.com/cCcx6dzKlw
Pretty much the last three letters any supporter wants to hear about one of their own players: ACL injuries are not just a season-ender but multiple instances can unfortunately sometimes mean whole careers being cut short.
This particular injury is the same kind that ruled out Man City’s talisman Rodri for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign – a turn of events that preceded some rather rocky form ever since – although full confirmation from the club is yet to be announced.
However, the signs didn’t look good from the off as the 27-year-old received lengthy on-field treatment following the collision with Ismaïla Sarr before being carried off in tears, and now it seems he may have known the extent of the injury in the moment himself.
Any damage to the ACL typically means a lengthy period on the physio bench and surgery to repair the ligament, with players given a rehabilitation window of anywhere between nine months to a year or more depending on the exact nature of the tear.
However, there remain few details as to Martinez‘s condition at this stage but there have been no reports of a full rupture (ACL torn in two pieces). One thing that doesn’t need reiterating is how big a loss he is for the squad, especially given how frail they have already been in defence.
With all the focus of the transfer window the significance of Martinez injury has been largely overlooked. He was one of the few that have played relatively well recently and his presence in the dressing room will be missed. It’s a huge blow really
— Michael Barton (@mrmichaelbarton) February 4, 2025
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The centre-half had already faced long spells out of the team following his first major injury back in April 2023 when he fractured a metatarsal in his right foot and needed surgery.
United struggled without his presence and leadership in the backline and with the deputy having recently contributed with both a goal and an assist in addition to his usual duties, his absence will no doubt be felt in the starting XI.
The only saving grace for Amorim’s Reds is the arrival not only of two new defenders in left wing-back Patrick Dorgu and 18-year-old fellow CB, Ayden Heaven, but Luke Shaw has also returned to training.
Will they be thrown straight into the mix? We’ll find out when the Red Devils face Leceister City in the FA Cup at home on Friday.
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Featured Images — Sky Sports (screenshot via YouTube)