Manchester United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season have been dashed as it was revealed that defender Lisandro Martinez will be out for at least eight weeks due to knee ligament damage.
The Argentine World Cup winner had only recently recovered from a foot injury that had sidelined him for the majority of the season.
Martinez, on the other hand, had made an impact on United’s recent improvement.
The 26-year-old was forced off during Sunday’s 3-0 victory against West Ham after his right knee crumbled under the weight of Vladimir Coufal as they fought for possession.
“Lisandro Martinez has sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks,” the club announced in a statement.
“We all wish Licha a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch later in the season.”
Martinez is now expected to miss the majority of the remainder of the season, but he could return for the final seven Premier League games and the latter stages of the FA Cup.
“He is very sad, very disappointed,” United manager Erik Ten Hag stated following the West Ham encounter.
“We truly feel for him. First and foremost, it’s a personal disaster when things get extremely bad, but let’s see what it is. But it’s also awful for the team since he provides us a lot of value.”
United are sixth in the Premier League, six points behind Tottenham and eight behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, who they play on Sunday.
A top-four finish will secure Champions League football the following season, although fifth place may suffice depending on how English teams perform in European competitions this season.