Manchester United have missed Lisandro Martinez badly during his time out injured, both on and off the pitch. The Red Devils could have done with his quality on the ball and tenaciousness at the back when the club failed at the final hurdle in the Europa League last season. And his leadership was badly missed as the team floundered from game to game last term. Thankfully, the Argentine is finally back in training and close to a return to action. During the pre-match press conference ahead of the Everton game, Ruben Amorim hinted that the World Cup winner is close to returning to the matchday squad at least. Lisandro Martinez expected to return vs Everton “With Licha [Lisandro Martinez], he is becoming close to be ready to play. Of course, we need to be careful as he is going to struggle in the first [few] minutes. He is clearly in a better position compared to two weeks ago.” Now, Centredevils have reported that the ex-Ajax ace will indeed be included in the squad to face the Toffees, provided he keeps showing encouraging signs in training. “The Argentine is expected to return to the Manchester United matchday squad against Everton. The next two days will be a huge factor in whether he makes the squad, as the club will monitor how he continues to fare. SeasonInjury TypeFromToDays OutMatches Missed 2024/25Cruciate ligament injury03 Feb 202501 Jan 2026333 days43 2024/25Back problems23 Nov 202425 Nov 20243 days1 2023/24Foot injury21 Sep 202304 Jan 2024106 days26 2023/24Knee injury04 Feb 202429 Mar 202455 days10 2023/24Calf strain02 Apr 202401 May 202430 days6 2022/23Metatarsal fracture14 Apr 202330 Jun 202378 days14 injury record via Transfermarkt “The club are happy with his rehabilitation process and his recovery too, with the center-back pushing to return. The defender has personally told manager Ruben Amorim that he is ready multiple times this week.” With Harry Maguire out injured, the Argentina international’s return will be great news. Whether he makes it onto the pitch remains to be seen. Great news for Amorim and United fans If not against David Moyes’ side, fans can expect to see Licha, as he is popularly called, play some part in the game against either Crystal Palace or West Ham. United have been pleased with his training and rehab, with the centre-back even sent out to train with his national team during the international break. Even the Argentine coaches were delighted with the 27-year-old. Hopefully, Lisandro Martinez can put his recent poor injury record behind him and start playing regularly for the 20-time English league champions. There are murmurs that he could even be utilised in midfield, a position he had occupied under Erik ten Hag at Ajax. His ability to break lines and carry the ball has been badly missed. Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25





