Manchester United’s hopes of Champions League qualification and winning the FA Cup have been engulfed in a defensive crisis. Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof were ruled out for a minimum of a month due to muscle problems.
Ten Hag’s team are in sixth place with 48 points, 11 behind Villa in fourth and nine behind Tottenham. Spurs are fifth, having played a match less, ahead of Thursday’s trip to Chelsea. Martínez and Lindelöf’s respective injuries will cause both defenders to miss at least five league games plus the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry on 21 April.
Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United
The loss of Martínez is a particular blow as he is one of Ten Hag’s frontline defenders . He just returned from a knee problem suffered against West Ham when coming on as a substitute at Brentford. Before this, the 26-year-old had also been out from September for five months due to a second foot injury. The previous one ruled him out for the last month of last season.
Victor Lindelof
The absence of Lindelöf means Ten Hag is without another senior defender, the Swede having started at Brentford, with another center-back, Harry Maguire, coming on as a replacement following the injury issue he suffered during the international break with England.
Ten Hag also has Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia unavailable because of injury. Leaving only Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Willy Kambwala as the recognized defenders. He may be forced to field Casemiro in central defense at Chelsea.
A United statement said: “Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez will be out of action for at least a month due to muscle injuries. Lindelöf was withdrawn during the second half of last Saturday’s Premier League game against Brentford with a hamstring problem”.
“Victor was replaced by Martínez after 69 minutes, as the Argentina international made his first appearance since early February. Unfortunately, Licha has now sustained a calf strain in training and is unavailable for the next few games.”