Carrick will be concerned: £56.7m Man Utd star may not return to starting XI for a month

Manchester United have been handed another worrying injury setback that is sure to dampen the mood among supporters.

According to the Daily Mail, Lisandro Martinez is set to miss the Aston Villa encounter due to a calf issue.

Martinez suffered the injury before the trip to Everton but was expected to return in one or two weeks.

It is a truly shocking revelation that the Argentine is already ruled out of the encounter despite the match still being five days away.

The timing is particularly frustrating given that Martinez only returned to action in November 2025 after spending eight months on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Former manager Ruben Amorim carefully eased him back into action, gradually introducing him with substitute appearances.

However, the defender soon became a regular starter under head coach Michael Carrick before this latest injury setback struck.

When Martinez reclaimed his place in the starting XI, he quickly reminded fans exactly what the Red Devils had been missing in recent months.

The £56.7 million signing consistently looks to break the lines with vertical passes rather than recycling possession sideways to the full-backs.

His composure on the ball also makes him one of the most press-resistant defenders in the Premier League.

Martinez frequently evades pressure using clever body feints or quick one-touch lay-offs to teammates.

Carrick will now be increasingly concerned that the recovery process may take longer than initially anticipated.

After hosting Aston Villa, the Red Devils will travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth.

If Martinez is unavailable this weekend, the best-case scenario could see him named on the bench against the Cherries.

That timeline suggests the centre-back might only return to the starting XI for the clash against Leeds United, which is still around a month away.

For the United faithful, this update will feel particularly frustrating given Martinez’s unfortunate run of injuries over the past 24 months.

In his absence over the last three matches, Carrick has been forced to move Harry Maguire into the left centre-back role, with Leny Yoro stepping into the lineup.

While Yoro and Maguire have performed admirably, United still lack the same level of assurance in build-up play without Martinez.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .