Manchester United defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have both been ruled out for “at least a month” due to muscle injuries suffered in recent days.
The club confirmed the double injury blow in a statement on Tuesday night.
Lindelof picked up a hamstring strain during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brentford in the Premier League, with the Swede unable to finish the contest in west London as a result.
Martinez replaced Lindelof after 69 minutes of the game in his eagerly awaited comeback from a previous knee complaint. But having registered his first appearance since February, a calf strain in training has now sidelined the Argentina international all over again.
It has been an injury-ravaged 12 months for Martinez. The former Ajax centre-back fractured a metatarsal in a Europa League clash with Sevilla last April, forcing him to miss the end of the season. He subsequently aggravated it in August and played on for a couple more games before being ruled out of action until January. He started only three times before February’s knee problem.
Raphael Varane was withdrawn at half-time against Brentford as a precaution. His absence from United’s statement about Martinez and Lindelof might be an indication the Frenchman is not a serious concern. Jonny Evans was also missing from the squad on Saturday due to injury.
As things stand, Harry Maguire is the only senior central defender currently known to be fit and available ahead of United’s trip back to London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday. Luke Shaw has filled in but the left-back is also currently sidelined through injury.
Varane or Evans might yet be in contention for the Chelsea clash unless Erik ten Hag confirms otherwise at his press conference on Wednesday. If neither is, 19-year-old academy graduate Willy Kwambala could be in line for only the second first-team start of his career. Alternatively, the United boss could repurpose defensive midfielders Casemiro or Sofyan Amrabat at the back.
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