By Nathan Ridley
Copyright mirror
Manchester United are planning to welcome Lisandro Martinez back from injury before the end of the calendar year. Martinez, 27, has been sidelined since February after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a clash with Crystal Palace . The defender started taking part in outdoor training towards the end of United’s pre-season tour in late July, having been added to the Red Devils’ new six-man leadership group by boss Ruben Amorim . Although Martinez is still training individually as he continues his rehabilitation, United are hopeful that he could return following the November international break. The Sun report that medical staff are planning to ease Martinez back into Amorim’s squad, having been in and around his team-mates at Carrington. Last month, the Argentine travelled to the Etihad Stadium to provide support as United faced Manchester City . In another show of his commitment to the Red Devils, Martinez has been staying behind to watch training sessions and attend team meetings. It’s not the first time that the former Ajax star has been forced to watch from the sidelines since joining United in a deal worth up to £56.7million in 2022. Martinez fractured his metatarsal in April 2023, requiring corrective surgery five months later, ruling him out until January 2024. The Argentina international then missed 26 games with a separate foot issue during the 2023-24 season, and a further 10 shortly after due to a knee injury. A calf strain also saw him miss a chunk of the run-in that year before helping United win the FA Cup . Having had a clean bill of health last season, Martinez suffered his ACL injury during February’s 2-0 loss at home to Palace and hasn’t played for club or country since. Amorim has singled out the 27-year-old as one of the reasons for their struggles this season, saying: “We miss a lot Licha, especially in this moment, we miss his aggression in everything he does, we miss him.” How much of an impact will Lisandro Martinez make on his return? Have your say in the comments section . Luke Shaw has started all seven of United’s Premier League matches in Martinez’s role as the left centre-back. Amorim prefers a left-footer in the position and Shaw, despite being a full-back by trade, has got the nod over Ayden Heaven, who started August’s humiliating Carabao Cup defeat away to Grimsby Town . Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.