FOOTBALL Manchester United: Why Lisandro Martinez injury is bad news for Raphael Varane

Lisandro Martinez’s two-month injury layoff is not only devastating for Manchester United but will also likely spell doom for French defender Raphael Varane

Confirmation that Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez will be out for two months with a knee injury is the news that manager Erik ten Hag and the club supporters feared the most.

Martinez just returned from a three-month layoff following surgery, having also missed the last two months of last season owing to another injury.

In his absence, United have struggled and it was no surprise that they had started resembling something like a team when he returned.

Since his return to the starting XI, United have won three straight games and when he was just about to start stabilising the side, he is out again.

While Ten Hag will have to figure out how to get his defence to stay tight and gain balance, one man who will be fearing the worst is Raphael Varane.

Varane excelled last season playing alongside Martinez but things have been different this campaign with the Argentine out.

The Frenchman lost his place in the starting XI and it was even reported that he had fallen out with Ten Hag, having become a bench warmer at a time the side was crying out for a defender of his skillset.

In his place, the Dutch coach preferred the back-on-form again Harry Maguire and he would be paired with Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof or sometimes youngster Willy Kambwala.

However, when probed why he does not prefer to start with Varane, Ten Hag gave a telling answer.

“There are moments in certain games where they [Maguire and Varane] can play together and they have already proven they can do it,” Ten Hag told the media.

“But the buildup is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left centre back position because I think Licha [Lisandro Martínez], obviously, Luke Shaw, obviously, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof, they are right-footed, but they can play really comfortably with their left and make the right angles, then you can construct a better formation where you can start to play.”

Ten Hag was laying bare the deficiencies in Varane’s game when playing on the left side of central defence which will not do him justice now that Martinez is out.

Granted, Varane has started previously when Martinez was out, that was largely when left-back Luke Shaw played in central defence and therefore, did not affect his position on the right side.

That was also a time when Maguire was completely out of the side, having lost his form and confidence, but now back and performing well, Ten Hag will likely not drop him, which means Varane will be the fall guy.

Ten Hag can be stubborn when it comes to sticking to his principles. One of those is having a ball-playing defender but also ensuring there is balance at centre-back where a left foot complements the right one.

United fans will therefore have to get accustomed to seeing Evans, Maguire and Lindelof more than Varane in central defence during Martinez’s injury spell even if most of them feel the Frenchman is better than the aforementioned trio.

Overall, Martinez’s injury has robbed United a key component of their team given none of the other central defenders has his ball-playing ability, vision and aggression but for the next two months, they will have to do without him.

'Licha' will likely miss matches against Aston Villa, Luton Town, Fulham, Manchester City, Everton, Sheffield United, Brentford and Chelsea which will likely determine whether the Red Devils seal a Champions League spot or not.