United star to go under the knife this week as encouraging date set for return to action – report

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is reportedly set to have surgery later this week after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee.

Martinez was taken off on a stretcher late on during the 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.

As he was carried away, the defender was in tears. Last week, United confirmed that Martinez indeed suffered an injury to his cruciate ligament.

The club statement added that an assessment of his issue was ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and timescale of his recovery process.

Now, an injury update has emerged. According to the Daily Mail, Martinez will be operated on before the end of this week.

“Confidential understands club doctors have decided an operation is the best course of action and the Argentina defender will go under the knife shortly.”

“It is unclear how long Martinez will be out of action but the initial prognosis was around six months, which would give him a chance of being fit for the start of next season.”

This represents another significant injury setback for Martínez, who signed for the Red Devils in the summer of 2022 from Arsenal.

He picked up a a fractured metatarsal in April 2023 which ended his first season in England.

The 27-year-old returned at the beginning of the 2023/24 season but a recurrence of the issue kept him sidelined between September 2023 and January 2024.

It remains to be seen whether Martinez’s lengthy lay-off forces United to adjust their summer transfer window planning.

Even if he comes back in time for the start of next season, he is likely to need a lot of time to get back to full fitness. United may therefore need to secure the services of a left-centre-back.

Alternatively, the club could mean January signing Ayden Heaven is fast-tracked into the starting XI.

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