The Man Utd defender could be back in the squad to face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
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Manchester United could be blessed with a full-strength squad when they travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend. It is a rare luxury that Ruben Amorim will treasure, though it also presents him with a welcome dilemma regarding his team selection.
In theory, Amorim can unleash his strongest line up over the next few weeks, though it is easier said than done. Many positions might be obvious in United's 'best' side, but there are still two or three that are hotly up for debate and sure to divide opinion.
None is quite as close as the role of left centre-back. Lisandro Martinez is expected to make his long-awaited return from injury this month, but he faces an unexpected challenge as he prepares to make his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury against Crystal Palace back in February.
Martinez handed unexpected challenge
Lisandro Martinez quickly established himself as a key part of the Manchester United squad as soon as he arrived at the club from Ajax in 2022. Whether they have utilised a back three or a back four, he has been integral to the balance of the defence with his profile as a left-footed centre-back.
Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have both valued Martinez enormously for his ball-playing ability, and the Argentine is viewed as one of the best playmakers in the United squad despite the fact he is a defender. Both managers have looked to Martinez to begin attacks as often as he ends them for the opposition and encourage him to be brave with his distribution from deep.
Combine his technical talent with his fierce tenacity and leadership skills, and the 27-year-old is a unique talent who has been irreplaceable in the United line up. That was certainly the case until the start of the season, anyway.
"It's really important,” Amorim said of Martinez's anticipated return last month. “We miss a lot Licha, especially in this moment; we miss his aggression in everything he does, we miss him. But he's always there in every meeting. In training, he sometimes finishes his and stays to watch the training. We need Licha in this team.”
Martinez will absolutely improve the United first-team squad, but it would be hugely unfair on Luke Shaw to suggest he will bring a huge improvement to the starting line up. The 30-year-old has put his own injury issues behind him to replace the Argentine this season and has been one of their unsung heroes of the campaign.
Shaw has been just as good with the ball as Martinez and excelled as a no-nonsense defender with excellent reading of the game and some vital blocks at the back. It is a side to his game that many thought had been lost after such a horrid recent injury record, but Shaw has been a huge beneficiary of the reduced fixture schedule and the demand to only play one match a week.
His resurgence has been so great, it would not be a surprise if he were called up to the England squad tomorrow, though Amorim would selfishly not mind if he were overlooked by Thomas Tuchel. The United head coach might now have cover in the crucial left centre-back role, but the position is very much Shaw's to lose right now.
Instead, it is Martinez with the point to prove. When he returns to the matchday squad, it will initially be as a substitute, and he is the one who must answer questions of his fitness to reclaim a place in the starting line up. He might be back, but he is not back in the side yet.
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