Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has revealed that he may leave Lisandro Martinez out of the upcoming clash with Ecuador, with the centre-back still suffering from a foot injury.
The Argentinian defender went down with 25 minutes to go in Manchester United’s clash with Arsenal and had to be substituted, with Harry Maguire coming on for the last part of the game, which Erik ten Hag’s side eventually lost 3-1 thanks to late goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus.
After the defeat, the United boss issued a concerning update.
“Licha [Martinez] said he had a problem on his foot”, he revealed. “But I’m not sure if it’s an injury. We have to wait, we have to see, we have to make the diagnosis.”
He has since joined up with the Argentinian national team, but Lionel Scaloni has revealed that the injury has not yet gone away despite his training with the rest of his compatriots earlier in the week, though it is nothing more than discomfort as things stand.
“Licha, as you know, had an issue with his feet,” Scaloni said.
“It’s not necessary that we risk him. In any case, if he’s available, we’ll evaluate whether to use him or not. At first, for [the Ecuador] match, it’d be a little rushed, we’ll see for the second match.
United fans will be desperate to see ‘Licha’ return in one piece, with a tricky looking schedule awaiting them in the coming weeks. They face Crystal Palace twice across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, as well as games against Brighton and Burnley and a trip to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich in their Champions League group stage opener.
