Man. Utd confirm Martinez cruciate ligament injury

Manchester United on Thursday confirmed defender Lisandro Martinez had sustained cruciate ligament damage, which is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season.

The Argentina centre-back, 27, was carried off on a stretcher after his left knee buckled late in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

“Manchester United can confirm that Lisandro Martinez suffered an injury to his cruciate ligament in Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace,” the club said in a statement.

“Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and the timescale for his rehabilitation.

“Everyone at Manchester United wishes Lisandro Martinez strength for a successful recovery and we will be supporting him every step of the way.”

United boss Ruben Amorim said after Palace match that he thought it was a “serious situation”, adding: “Licha is really important for us, not just as a football player but the character he has, especially in this hard moment.”

The result left Amorim’s side, who host Leicester in the FA Cup on Friday, 13th in the Premier League.

United signed left-back Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in the January transfer window but there are fresh doubts over the fitness of defender Luke Shaw, who has not started a game for the club in almost 12 months.

Martinez’s injury came almost exactly a year after he sustained a knee injury against West Ham. He returned on March 30 but then suffered a calf problem.

The Argentine has played 32 times for United this season, scoring goals against Liverpool and Fulham.