Lisandro Martinez is edging closer to a Manchester United training comeback as he nears the final stages of his recovery from a long-term injury. The defender’s knee buckled when he collapsed during the clash with Crystal Palace at the start of February, with scans later confirming he had sustained damage to his cruciate ligament. Martinez has been carefully managed throughout his rehabilitation programme and is now believed to be close to rejoining full squad training following a spell working alone on the pitch.
United will exercise extreme caution with Martinez, meaning his return to matchday duties remains some way off. As a result, he will remain sidelined for this weekend’s trip to Anfield but could return to action before the November international break. Ruben Amorim’s men travel to Tottenham on November 8, which represents a feasible comeback target.
This timeline assumes that Martinez’s transition back to full United training proceeds without any further complications.
Speaking to club media this week, Casemiro reflected on Martinez’s rehabilitation progress, describing him as a true fighter in the face of serious injury.
“Licha is on the final straight, he is a soldier who works so hard, he is always in the gym working hard,” said Casemiro.
“He works hard both on and off the pitch. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one those players who love to work hard. It is a pleasure to have him here. He works so much.
“We arrived at 9am, it’s now 4pm and he continues working. He has the experience to know when to work hard.
“I am so glad – not just me, everyone – because he is an essential player at the club.”
Luke Shaw has featured in every Premier League fixture this campaign on the left side of United’s back three. Martinez will be hoping to challenge the England international for a starting berth upon his return.
Amorim recently pondered Martinez’s spell on the sidelines, stating: “When you have that injury, you have that time where you recover a lot of things really hard, then there is the boring part where it looks like you don’t go to the next step.
“We miss a lot Licha, especially in this moment, we miss his aggression in everything he does, we miss him. But he’s always there in every meeting. In training, he sometimes finishes his and stays to watch the training. We need Licha in this team.”
Martinez clocked up 32 outings across all competitions last season and is now in his fourth campaign at Old Trafford.