Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is set to finalise his recovery from a knee injury with Argentina — but he will not play for Lionel Scaloni’s side during the international break.
Martinez has been called up to Argentina’s squad as the world champions play El Salvador and Costa Rica in friendly matches, as they continue their preparations for this summer’s Copa America.
The 26-year-old sustained a right knee injury in United’s 3-0 Premier League victory against West Ham United in February that was expected to keep him out for around eight weeks.
Martinez sprained a medial collateral ligament in the knee — from which recovery times can vary — during a collision with West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal in the 68th minute of the match.
The versatile defender is progressing well in the recovery process and it is believed he could return to first-team action for the Premier League match against Brentford on March 30.
The Argentine will not return in time for the FA Cup quarter-final clash against Liverpool at Old Trafford on March 17, United’s final game ahead of the international break.
Martinez is set to finish his recovery with Argentina, rather than play for them. Lionel Scaloni’s side face El Salvador on March 23 before facing Costa Rica four days later.
Martinez had returned to action in January after a prolonged absence of over three months, during which he underwent surgery to repair a broken metatarsal in his foot for the second time. His initial surgery in April marked the conclusion of his debut season at United.
Martinez, who joined United from Ajax for £47million ($58.9m) in the summer of 2022, reunited with former Ajax coach Erik ten Hag upon his arrival.
During the previous campaign, he made 45 appearances across all competitions for United but was sidelined for the final nine Premier League matches due to the foot injury. This term, he has only featured in 10 matches for the club.
United, meanwhile, confirmed on Tuesday that Mason Mount has returned to training for the first time since sustaining a calf injury in November.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has also returned to training ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
(Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Read the full article here