Manchester United suffered a serious setback of their Premier League conflict in opposition to Crystal Palace as star defender Lisandro Martinez was compelled off with a critical damage, leaving Ruben Amorim with rising considerations over his squad depth.
Heading into Matchday 24, United aimed to increase their successful streak at Previous Trafford. After a sluggish first half, Crystal Palace broke the impasse within the sixty fourth minute, forcing the house aspect to push ahead in quest of an equalizer. Nevertheless, simply minutes later, United suffered an enormous blow.
Within the 76th minute, whereas difficult Palace ahead Ismaila Sarr, Martinez made a contact on the ball however then planted his left foot awkwardly, showing to severely compromise his knee. The Argentine defender instantly signaled for a substitution, grimacing in ache.
United’s medical workers rushed onto the pitch as Martinez struggled to get again up. After a number of minutes of therapy, he was stretchered off within the 82nd minute, with Matthijs de Ligt approaching to exchange him.
The severity of the damage has but to be confirmed, however Martinez was visibly distraught as he left the sector in tears. Medical assessments will likely be carried out following the match, however early considerations recommend he might face a long-term absence.
Who might exchange Lisandro Martinez?
With United getting into a vital stage of the season—the place the Europa League has develop into a main goal—dropping Martinez presents a serious dilemma for Amorim. Nearing the shut of the switch window, the Portuguese coach might want to discover an inside answer to cowl the Argentine’s absence.
A pure possibility can be De Ligt, however as a right-footed defender, he might wrestle in Martinez’s common left center-back function, doubtlessly affecting United’s build-up play and defensive stability.
One other chance is Luke Shaw, who has just lately returned to coaching following a long-term damage. Nevertheless, given his lack of match health, deploying him in central protection won’t be a direct answer.
An alternate could possibly be 18-year-old Ayden Heaven, who just lately joined from Arsenal. Nevertheless, with no Premier League expertise, throwing him into a vital function could possibly be a major danger. Amorim should fastidiously assess his choices as United put together for a difficult run of fixtures, now doubtlessly with out one in all their most important defenders.
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