Manchester United are hopeful that injured centre-back Lisandro Martínez will travel with the squad on their preseason tour of the United States, with the defender close to re-joining group training, according to multiple reports.
The World Cup winner suffered a devastating cruciate ligament injury in February during Man Utd’s 2–0 defeat to Crystal Palace, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024–25 campaign. As a result, he missed the club’s run to the Europa League final and loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the showpiece event.
Martinez’s experience and leadership was sorely missed by Ruben Amorim and his players, with the Red Devils desperate for the diminutive defender to make his injury comeback in the near future.
Manchester Evening News have provided a promising fitness update on the 27-year-old, insisting that he’s “progressing well” in his recovery from his knee injury despite Man Utd’s reluctance to disclose a timeframe for his return.
Given the nature of Martínez’s injury, a spell of six to nine months on the sidelines has been touted, with over five months having already elapsed since the setback against Palace.
While the Argentine remains some way from making his return to the starting lineup, The Athletic have revealed that he’s “close to joining group training” once more and that Amorim would like him to be part of Man Utd’s squad for the upcoming tour of the U.S.
While not yet fit to play, he would travel with the squad to “keep pace with tactical sessions” and for his “motivational qualities”, but only if doctors permit him to make the trip. The Red Devils face West Ham United, Bournemouth and Everton in the Premier League Summer Series in North America.
Martínez has not made the journey to Stockholm for Man Utd’s first preseason friendly of the summer against Leeds United on Saturday afternoon and his Premier League return is “unclear” as he won’t be rushed back into the fold, but supporters will be pleased to hear that he’s well on the road to recovery.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Man Utd Offered Lisandro Martinez Injury Boost Ahead of U.S. Tour.
