When Lisandro Martinez sat down and undid his laces in Sunday’s English Premier League clash with Arsenal, United fans feared the worst.
Martinez’s central defensive partner Raphael Varane is already ruled out with injury.
Luke Shaw, who seems to be boss Erik ten Hag’s preferred backup for Lisandro Martinez, is also out injured.
So the idea that Martinez would be out for an extended period of time seemed a cause for concern for many.
News and reports emerged shortly after the game that the injury was not as serious as expected, but no more details were provided.
With Martinez subsequently leaving to join his national side, many wondered whether the former Ajax defender would be fit enough to play.
Now, Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni has provided an update. Scaloni was speaking to the press in advance of Argentina’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Bolivia.
“Licha, as you know, had an issue with his feet,” Scaloni said.
“By the way, he had surgery a while ago.
“In the last game he was in pain, went out for precaution.
“They have done studies and he’s well.
“He’ll be with us if we want to risk him or not. It’s an uncomfortable situation and we have other teammates who can replace him well.
“It’s not necessary that we risk him.
“In any case, if he’s available, we’ll evaluate whether to use him or not.
“At first, for tomorrow’s match, it’d be a little rushed, we’ll see for the second match,” added Scaloni.
According to Scaloni’s comments, it seems that there’s nothing too serious in regards to Martinez but he may still be rested as a precaution.
The news will be music to the ears of United fans who saw Martinez as one of the bright spots of the side last year and hope to see him build on his performances in his second season at the club.
SportsCenter have shared a clip of Scaloni on their Twitter, that can be viewed below.
"LE HAN HECHO ESTUDIOS Y ESTÁ BIEN. ESTARÁ EN NOSOTROS SI LO QUEREMOS ARRIESGAR O NO. NO ES NECESARIO QUE ARRIESGUEMOS", Lionel Scaloni habló sobre la situación de Licha Martínez y confirmó que no jugará vs. Ecuador. Lo evaluarán si estará ante Bolivia. pic.twitter.com/mWcGXDX4wL
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) September 6, 2023
