Michael Carrick has been handed a massive headache ahead of Manchester United’s encounter with Everton tonight. The Reds had no injury concerns heading into Monday’s trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case as Carrick will be without Lisandro Martinez against the Toffees. The Argentine defender has been an ever-present in his defence since he replaced Ruben Amorim in early January.
Martinez returned from a cruciate ligament injury in November and reclaimed his place in the United team. His side have tasted defeat just once in 14 league games he’s appeared in this season.
No Martinez
The bad news is that Martinez won’t be available against Everton due to calf discomfort. The Athletic reports that the 28-year-old is set to sit out the clash with the Toffees.
The good news is that the injury is reportedly minor and he’s expected back in one or two weeks. He has been crucial to Carrick, and losing him for more than tonight’s game would have been a massive headache.
United will hope he is available for the upcoming game against Crystal Palace on Sunday (March 1st). A trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United follows on March 4th.
Carrick confirmed the Argentine had “picked up something in the week” when speaking in his pre-match interview. He suggested to Sky Sports that it shouldn’t be too long until his centre-back is back.
Martinez’s absence is a setback, given that he’s forged a formidable partnership with Harry Maguire. The pair have played an important role in Carrick’s unbeaten start to his second spell as interim coach.
Leny Yoro starts in place of Martinez, and the young Frenchman will be eager to prove he deserves more game time. He was a regular starter under Ruben Amorim but hasn’t been quite as prominent under Carrick.
Another defensive injury
Martinez’s injury comes with Matthijs de Ligt spending a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Dutch defender has been absent since November, recovering from a back problem.
De Ligt has yet to appear under Carrick and was one of the Reds’ best performers up until his injury. He’d ideally have been Martinez’s replacement if he were available tonight.
Carrick will be hoping to have both players back as soon as possible as his side enters the final stretch of the season. The duo are two of his most experienced defenders and he won’t want to overload Maguire with too much game time.
