LISANDRO MARTINEZ was forced off with a “very bad” injury during Manchester United’s clash with West Ham, manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed.
The Red Devils centre-back, 26, only returned from injury last month after a lengthy period out.
Lisandro Martinez was forced off with what appeared to be a knee injury
This was the moment his leg appeared to bend horribly when tussling with Vladimir Coufal
He was clearly in a lot of pain
Martinez soldiered on for a few minutes before he went down again and was replaced
Erik ten Hag faces more time without Martinez
But now he faces more time on the sideline after going down with a leg problem in the game against West Ham at Old Trafford.
Martinez initially went over after tangling for the ball with Vladimir Coufal.
He carried on, but then hit the deck again a few minutes later and was replaced by Raphael Varane.
When asked about him after the game, Ten Hag was quoted as saying the defender “doesn’t look well” and that it is “very bad for him, very bad for the team”.
He went on to add: “It seems bad, we have to wait and make the right diagnosis.
“In this moment we are very sad, hopefully it is not too bad but we can only pray.
“It looks like he has to sit some games out injured again.”
Martinez started the game alongside Harry Maguire as Varane dropped to the bench.
He suffered a foot injury back in September that ruled him out until the new year.
He returned as a substitute in Man Utd’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham in mid-January.
He participated in the FA Cup victory over Newport before starting his first Premier League match in four and a half months against Wolves, where his team won 4-3.
However, when Martinez was seen at Molineux with his foot bandaged following an incident late in the game, there were worries.
And now, even more Manchester United fans will worry about going without Martinez for yet another stint.
He has made 54 appearances for United since joining from Ajax last summer, scoring once.
As Man Utd get closer to a pivotal point in the season, he is expected to join Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Anthony Martial on the injury list.