Lisandro Martinez has returned to training at Manchester United which gives Ruben Amorim an extra option in defence.
Having spent nine months on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury, Lisandro Martinez is finally back fit and available for Manchester United.
United fans are delighted to see Martinez back in training at Carrington, and the 27-year-old could be back in the matchday squad as early as this weekend against Tottenham.
Ruben Amorim praised Martinez in training, but is being cautious about returning him to action too early. He was afforded more time to build up his fitness by being left out of the 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.
But the Argentine defender, often called ‘The Butcher’ by the United faithful, will be desperate to return and his role in Amorim’s system is already clear.
Lisandro Martinez aggression is perfect for Ruben Amorim
Recently, Jonny Evans spoke about Amorim wanting defenders to push up into midfield as part of his tactical setup.
Quite often it has been the central defender in the back three who has stepped up, but recently Luke Shaw has also been given the task of playing on the front foot and fitting into midfield.
Back in January, Amorim praised Martinez’s aggression and explained that he is an ideal fit for a centre-back who can step up to help minimise space for attackers.
“[Defenders] are aggressive nowadays and sometimes they are the midfielders because you don’t have a lot of space between the lines,” Amorim said.
“They are the players who have the game in front of them. When the central defenders play well with the ball, we play well. It’s something that Licha does really well and can take the ball.”
Martinez has played as a central midfielder during his time at Ajax, and he remains open to playing further up the pitch if that is what is asked of him.
Lisandro Martinez return creates Luke Shaw dilemma
Luke Shaw is reviving his United career this season after locking down a starting position at left centre-back.
The 30-year-old, who is now United’s longest-serving player, is enjoying a strong run of form as a central defender, but his position will now be under threat by Martinez.
Shaw could be used as a wing-back, but it would be much more physically demanding for a player who has struggled so much with injury.
Left wing-back has become a problem position for Amorim, and Shaw could be the solution. Now that Martinez is back fit, Amorim can experiment with a few different combinations down the left.
With Martinez returning from a long-term injury and Amorim keen to manage Shaw’s minutes, fans can expect to see some rotation at the back.
Leave a Reply