Manchester United reporter Samuel Luckhurst of the Sun reported that Manchester United still hopes that Lisandro Martinez can make a comeback within this year. 27-year-old Lima, who has not returned to the team for joint training after eight months...
Manchester United reporter Samuel Luckhurst of the Sun reported that Manchester United still hopes that Lisandro Martinez can make a comeback within this year.
27-year-old Lima, who has not returned to the team for joint training after eight months of suffering an ACL injury, began outdoor training near the end of July when Manchester United's pre-season tour is still in full swing, and is still in personal training as part of his rehabilitation plan. Manchester United may wait until November's international match day is over before Lima can gradually return to the team's lineup.
Lima was added to Manchester United's new leadership team this summer and went to the Etihad Stadium with his teammates last month to provide additional support. Lima has been staying at the club's Carrington training base, watching training and attending team meetings.
Lima joined Manchester United in July 2022, but suffered several major injuries during her three years at the club. The Argentine international had a metatarsal fracture in April 2023 and underwent correction surgery five months later, leaving him absent until January 2024. At the end of the 2023-24 season, Lima experienced a long quit due to a calf injury, and then tore the ACL in a 0-2 loss to Crystal Palace in February.
Luke Xiao, in seven Premier League games that Manchester United has already played, all started as the left center back as head coach Amorin's three-back system. Amorin prefers to be left-footed players occupying the left side, while Luke Shaw, who was originally a left-back, has been reshaped into a full-time centre-back.
Last month, Amorin admitted that the team missed Lima very much during the difficult start of the season and said he was looking forward to the return of the Argentine player. He said at the time: "When you suffer that injury, you go through a period of time, first of the difficult part, then the boring phase, and it feels like you can't go to the next phase."
"We miss Lima very much, especially at this time, we miss the aggressiveness he showed, we miss him. But he is in every meeting, and in training, he sometimes stays to watch the training after completing his own training, and we need him."
