Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and faces up to nine months on the sidelines, according to reports from Argentina.
The 27-year-old World Cup winner's injury has been confirmed by TyC Sports, with the centre-back now expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
The devastating diagnosis comes after Martinez was stretchered off during United's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Martinez fell awkwardly after challenging for the ball with Palace winger Ismaila Sarr in the 82nd minute of the match.
Lisandro Martinez looks set to miss the start of next season through injury
Reuters
The Argentina international immediately clutched his knee and was visibly distressed as he was carried from the pitch.
Manchester United released a statement shortly after Martinez was withdrawn, saying: "Our hearts break for you, Licha. We'll be with you during your recovery and know you'll be back stronger."
Speaking after the match, United manager Ruben Amorim delivered a sombre assessment of the situation.
"Licha is really important for us. Not just as a football player but as a character, especially in this hard moment," said Amorim.
"I think it's a bad situation. Let's wait to assess things with the doctor but I think it's a serious situation," he added.
"Now it's time to help Licha like he's doing for so long," the United boss concluded.
This latest setback adds to Martinez's unfortunate injury record at United, having missed over 50 games since the start of the 2022/23 season.
He was sidelined for six weeks at the end of the 2022-23 campaign with a metatarsal fracture.
A surgery in September 2023 kept him out for four months, followed by an eight-week absence with ligament damage and a six-and-a-half week layoff due to a calf issue.
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United are likely to rely on Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro as their first-choice back three for the remainder of the season.
The typical recovery time for an ACL injury is between six to nine months, meaning Martinez could miss the start of next season.
The Argentine defender had only recently returned to form, having been named United's player of the month for January after scoring in matches against Liverpool and Fulham.
Luke Shaw, who has recently returned to training, could be used as a left-sided centre-back option in Martinez's absence.
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