Lisandro Martinez has revealed that his surgery “went really well” and that the Manchester United defender is on the mend.
He walked off in the Europa League match against Sevilla last week, and his season was cut short due to injury. The Argentine had to have surgery to repair a broken metatarsal, and his recovery time is likely to be between six and eight weeks.
Martinez has been an important player for Erik ten Hag’s team since joining from Ajax in the summer. Given his size, some questioned if he could play in the Premier League, but he’s proven them wrong while also posting an encouraging message on Instagram.
Social media post by Martinez
Alongside a photo of him post-surgery he said: “Everything went really well, thanks to God! Many thanks for all of your messages. Now focusing on the recovery.”
Many teammates have shared their support for the defender, including compatriot Alejandro Garnacho, who is also out with a foot injury. While Bruno Fernandes responded with a love heart emoji.
International teammate Angel Di Maria was next to send his encouragement, backing, “Vamossssss” with three clapping emojis.
Martinez’s injury will keep him out of the FA Cup semi-final, the Europa League knockout stages, and United’s fight for a top-four spot.
He and Raphael Varane are both dealing with injuries, so Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof stepped in for the win over Nottingham Forest.
The pair kept a clean sheet, and Ten Hag believes the absences allow the squad to demonstrate its strength.
“We have depth in the squad,” said the Dutchman.
“We have to use the squad – that’s also what we did (on Thursday). In the meantime, you have to win games, so also you need a tactical approach to win the games. But I think we have good players and when we have problems – so injuries, suspensions – we have depth in the squad.”
Previously, Maguire and Lindelof had been the first-choice central defensive pairing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. When Varane arrived, Maguire kept his position alongside him before being replaced by Martinez.
The World Cup winner had to be carried off the Old Trafford pitch by two of his teammates last week after United blew a 2-0 lead against Sevilla in Europa League, leaving them with their next job to defeat the Spanish side on their home turf on Thursday night.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel criticises Dayot Upamecano