Manchester United fan favourite Lisandro Martinez is confident he will soon return from injury and help the club to fight for success in 2024.
Our popular centre-back has been absent since sustaining an injury during the Champions League match at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena back on 20 September.
Martinez has been working diligently with medical staff and, as fans may have seen in recent weeks, he has been training individually as he steps up his rehabilitation.
Thankfully, the hard work behind the scenes is close to paying off.
Erik ten Hag last week expressed his hope that Lisandro will return to competitive action in January and the man himself is feeling positive.
THE FITNESS UPDATE
At the start of a sit-down interview with features editor Steve Bartram, Licha begins by answering the big question: how is your recovery going?
“Well, I am really good, I am really good, honestly,”
he explains with a smile.
“My rehab is going amazingly, in the way that I want, I am feeling strong, doing everything right with Ibra [Ibrahim Kerem] the physio, he has been amazing.
“And also the medical department, they take care of me from day one so it was really important. Yeah, all is perfect for me.”
Given the long-term nature of his injury, Martinez and the United medical team are ensuring he feels 100 per cent before returning to competitive action.
“Definitely, we need to be patient, we need to be patient,” he says. “I know that I will be back soon, very soon. It takes time, we need to be patient.”
Licha admits it has been difficult to watch United matches from the sidelines and particularly when results have not gone our way. But he has been making the most of his time and doing all he can to help his team-mates, including those who are also working their way back from injury.
“It is tough, so tough, especially when you had two injuries, almost six or seven months, it is really, really tough. But I feel strong from my mind. I get really good values from my family, to never give up, so this has only made me even stronger. It is tough, so tough, but there are no excuses.
“My rehab is going amazingly, in the way that I want, I am feeling strong, doing everything right with Ibra [Ibrahim Kerem] the physio, he has been amazing. And also the medical department, they take care of me from day one.”
“It is part of football also and we need to accept it, be humble. It is a time to work even harder, in the gym, improving, doing analysis, doing tactics, in the things that we can improve on the pitch.
“As a person as well, I love to improve that part because, for everybody, if you improve then automatically you will see it on the pitch.
“I love this club and I love this place. I feel so grateful to be here every day and I love to spend time with physios, the kit men, with my team-mates, with everybody.
“It is part of football also and we need to accept it, be humble. It is a time to work even harder, in the gym, improving, doing analysis, doing tactics, in the things that we can improve on the pitch.”
“I also like to talk with everybody, to listen, to improve. Because I think you can bring a lot of things from everybody.
“It doesn't mean that you have to be only a footballer. That is really good and also I spent time with my family in Argentina. It was really important for me to get that love from my family. I love my family as well, so it was really important for me.”
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
A true competitor, Martinez is eager to make up for lost time and he hopes to play an influential role during the second half of our season.
He says the squad still has lots to play for in the Premier League and, crucially, a potential trophy to win, with the Emirates FA Cup up for grabs.
“I love this club and I love this place. I feel so grateful to be here every day and I love to spend time with physios, the kit men, with my team-mates, with everybody.”
“My mentality is to win everything,”
Licha concludes, looking ahead to 2024. “For sure now, we are out of the Champions League and we are disappointed for sure, but now we need to win every game. We need to fight, we need to go for the FA Cup, we need to achieve everything that we can.”
Watch our full interview with Lisandro Martinez for more from the United defender.