Martinez nearing return
Michael Carrick says Lisandro Martínez — sidelined since the 1‑1 draw with West Ham on February 10 by a calf injury — is edging closer to match action and has been given a positive update ahead of the Leeds fixture. (standard.co.uk)
Lisandro Martínez has gone from missing five straight Manchester United matches to training fully in Dublin, and Michael Carrick says the defender is now close enough to be in the picture for Leeds United on Monday, April 13. (standard.co.uk) The timing matters because United have not played a league match since March 20 and return with seven Premier League games left, starting against Leeds at Old Trafford. Carrick took the squad to a four-day camp in Dublin during that 24-day gap, and Martínez was back with the group there. (manutd.com 1) (manutd.com 2) Martínez’s last appearance was the 1-1 draw with West Ham United on February 10, and the calf problem then ruled him out of the Everton trip and the next four matches after that. That absence handed 20-year-old Leny Yoro an extended run at center-back. (standard.co.uk) This is not just another short layoff for him. Manchester United’s player profile says Martínez also lost most of 2025 after a knee injury in February of that year, and injuries had already limited him to 14 appearances in the 2023-24 season before that. (manutd.com) The Leeds game is set for Monday, April 13 at 19:00 Coordinated Universal Time, which is 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States, and the official Premier League squad page already lists Martínez among United’s available defenders. That does not guarantee a start, but it usually means a player is back in match contention. (premierleague.com 1) (premierleague.com 2) United’s form before the break gives Carrick a reason not to rush him. The club’s last five league results were four unbeaten — wins over Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Aston Villa, plus a draw at Bournemouth — even before Martínez returned to training. (premierleague.com) But Leeds are the kind of opponent who can make a ball-playing defender useful straight away. The first league meeting this season finished 1-1 at Elland Road on January 4, with Brenden Aaronson scoring for Leeds before Matheus Cunha equalized for United three minutes later. (premierleague.com) So the update is less “Martínez is definitely back” than “United can finally plan with him again.” After two months out with a calf injury and a longer run of stop-start seasons, being available for Leeds would be his clearest step yet from rehab back into the run-in. (standard.co.uk) (manutd.com)
