Manchester United have confirmed that Lisandro Martínez sustained a cruciate ligament injury in Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, ruling out the defender until next season.

Martínez was hurt after 82 minutes and had to be taken off on a stretcher after treatment.

A club statement said: “Manchester United can confirm that Lisandro Martínez suffered an injury to his cruciate ligament in Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace. Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and the timescale for his rehabilitation.

Everyone at Manchester United wishes Lisandro Martínez strength for a successful recovery and we will be supporting him every step of the way.”

The injury came nearly a year to the day after Martínez sustained medial collateral ligament damage to a knee during the 3-0 win over West Ham at Old Trafford on 4 February. He returned for the 1-1 draw at Brentford on 30 March but was forced off with a calf problem that ruled him out for another six weeks.

Ruben Amorim said: “He’s going to be out for a while. We don’t know the extent of the injury but it’s going to take time.” United’s head coach also said it was appropriate to be “careful” with Luke Shaw because the defender had a “small issue in a different area from the last injury”.
Armorim accepted he would be blamed, after not bringing in experienced players in the winter window, if results do not improve. “That is clear, is also exciting,” he said. “I knew when I chose this profession that you have the risk of results and I knew when I came here I look at the schedule, I look at the team, my decision changing everything in the middle of the season without new signings is a danger for a coach.

“But I have a clear idea of what I want to do and I take these risks because in the end it’s going to pay off. But I’m not naive. I said that many times, this is a sport of results and we are in a difficult situation.”

That’s a brutal blow for both Lisandro Martínez and Manchester United. A cruciate ligament injury is one of the most serious setbacks a player can face, and for Martínez — who’s already endured a tough injury-plagued season — this is incredibly unfortunate. The timing couldn’t be worse either, just as United are fighting to salvage something from a turbulent campaign.

Rúben Amorim’s comments reflect the pressure he’s under. Taking over mid-season without reinforcements was always going to be a gamble, and losing one of the team’s key leaders in Martínez only compounds the challenge. His mention of Luke Shaw also signals the club’s defensive issues are far from over, especially if caution is needed with his fitness too.

Do you think United should accelerate their search for another centre-back this summer? Someone like Matthijs de Ligt or Jarrad Branthwaite could suddenly become even more vital now.