In the midst of United’s rollercoaster start to 2026, pausing to reflect upon a personal milestone was the last thing on Lisandro Martinez’s mind. But if any player in the squad deserves special dispensation to do that, it’s surely the Argentinian.
Back in the starting line-up for the last 10 games, Martinez had spent the bulk of the last year battling back to fitness after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage against Crystal Palace last February. Were that alone not cause for celebration, for good measure ‘Licha’ also hit 100 United appearances in the 2-2 draw against Burnley, notably standing in for Bruno Fernandes as captain.
But rather than savour either the occasion or the personal landmark, the teak-tough defender spent the evening at Turf Moor cutting a frustrated figure, justifiably protesting long and loud about the decision to overturn his apparently legitimate first-half goal, and making clear his displeasure as the Reds’ second-half lead slipped. Four days on, back at Old Trafford, his first act upon being substituted midway through the second half of Brighton’s FA Cup success was to kick a drinks bottle in frustration.
As we've all seen in the five matches under Michael Carrick, including a dominant Manchester derby outing against the formidable Erling Haaland, his contribution to the cause is outstanding, not to mention his influence on the team and those cheering us on from the stands. Make no mistake, Licha is back and he’s taking the current state of affairs personally.
“This club, for me, is really, really special,”
he told TNT Sports’ Owen Hargreaves earlier this year. “I watched all the games in the [Sir] Alex Ferguson era and wow, it was like history. And football is, for me, about that too: put your name there [in the history books]. I hope soon that we are in the same moment because I want to achieve big things here. It’s really special and I hope soon that this club will go up again.”
“After my injury, I felt like I was not going to play football any more. It gets me very emotional, you know, because it’s really, really tough.”
Since his arrival from Ajax in the summer of 2022, Martinez’s United career has been one to both enjoy and endure. Shortly after clinching the 2022/23 Carabao Cup, he suffered a fractured metatarsal which curtailed his debut campaign 14 games early. Reversing events the following term, he returned and shone in the 2023/24 FA Cup final triumph over our near neighbours, but not before missing all-but 11 games of a campaign heavily punctuated by injuries to his foot and knee.
Last term, he was a virtual ever-present until sustaining his serious knee issue last February. On the revolving fortune rotation, Licha is now due a major positive after being put through the emotional wringer during his latest comeback.
“After my injury, I felt like I was not going to play football any more,”he admitted. “It gets me very emotional, you know, because it’s really, really tough. You start appreciating the grass, your team-mates, the atmosphere before the game. After my baby and my family, football is my all.”
Reflecting on his sit-down interview with the defender, former Reds midfielder Hargreaves – who battled injury throughout a horrendously arduous end to his career – laid out his admiration.
“He was a class act,”
said the 44-year-old. “He’s had a difficult time with injury but he’s a proper character, a proper personality. The Argentinian boys have real heart and he spoke about that, actually: what it meant to play for Manchester United, the history of Argentinian players at this club and he wants to bring United back up to what it was. He said he remembers watching me in the Champions League final [against Chelsea] in 2008 and he wants to bring the club back to its former glory. He’s a proper personality and United will need him.”
Martinez’s character is seen as key for the fortunes of both club and country. Even before making his long-awaited comeback at Selhurst Park in late November, he was invited to continue his rehabilitation on the training pitch with Argentina during the November international break. Head coach Lionel Scaloni described the defender as ‘highly-regarded’ when explaining his presence with the squad.
“If Licha plays for your club, you love him. He gives everything, gives 110 per cent in every match, goes into every tackle as if it were his last, he celebrates a tackle as if it was a goal.”
“He’s loved. Nobody will say a single bad word about Lisandro Martinez with Argentina. If anything, they’re clamouring for him to come back. They can’t wait for him to come back [for the national team] just because the partnership he has formed with Cristian Romero of Tottenham – it’s a sensational partnership, the both of them.
“If Licha plays for your club, you love him. He gives everything, gives 110 per cent in every match, goes into every tackle as if it were his last, he celebrates a tackle as if it was a goal, be it for Manchester United or for Argentina, and you won’t find anyone saying anything negative about him or doubting him. It’s about that passion, about always giving it your all. Unfortunately, it’s not something you see all the time in football these days. Someone like Lisandro, especially at the back, you need that guy who will command the backline, shout, point out instructions, and he’ll get the fans and the team going. I think everyone needs that.”
For Martinez, having played a cameo role in Argentina’s successful 2022 World Cup before going on to star as they lifted the 2024 Copa America, the prospect of this summer’s World Cup is a tantalising end-of-season target. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the tournament,” says Nemer. “For me, if he’s fit then he’s at the World Cup, 100 per cent.”
Personal goals will wait for the time being, however, with more pressing matters at Old Trafford.
“A class act. He’s had a difficult time with injury but he’s a proper character, a proper personality. The Argentinian boys have real heart.”
EXPERIENCE AND MINDSET
Licha is quick to talk up the need for the appropriate mindset. After closing 2025 with a disappointing home draw against Wolves, he told MUTV: “We can’t be in our stadium still drawing and losing points. I think you have two ways [to react]: one is like making excuses, or one is taking it with a big personality and say: ‘Guys, we are missing points, and now we have to go for the next one, and we have to show who we are.’ We have to connect with ourselves as well.
“We have to deal better, sometimes, with the moments of the games. Sometimes, for a few moments, with no concentration or something like that, we lose games, and then you think: it wasn’t enough, but if you look back at the game afterwards, you see we played good in this game. We have to relax. We already have pressure, we already have tension; imagine if you add more. Then it’s impossible to play football. And it’s football, it’s a sport, it’s not like a war. It’s just football; we have to enjoy being able to play for this amazing club.”
As one of the more experienced members of the United squad, Martinez recognises his influence around Carrington. The Argentinian takes his role seriously – always being mindful of how the club’s fledgling talents are developing, offering advice and encouragement. “Those guys, at that age, to be playing for this club... it’s crazy, it’s amazing, it’s a big achievement for them,” he said. “So, we have to be there to help them. Make them humble, make sure they learn every day, where they are and what it means, also, to play for this club.”
One of the pre-requisites of life at Old Trafford, regardless of circumstance, is the ability to cope with endless intense scrutiny. After such a hectic start to 2026, the experience and mindset of the squad’s elder statesmen will be key in steadying the ship. There is, of course, at this early stage in Licha’s comeback, road left to run on the comeback trail, an inevitable sharpening of talent and teeth for the Argentinian – who is yet to be booked this season – as he finds his rhythm. For Carrick, having his no.6 available is a huge boon as he seeks to plug the defensive leaks which have characterised United’s campaign so far.
Following last month's reverse against Brighton at Old Trafford, Carrick’s temporary predecessor, Darren Fletcher, spoke candidly about his club’s situation, stressing: “You can see the players are fragile and they need to build themselves up well because it’s up to them now, they’ve got to respond. It’s only them in the situation, it’s only them that can do something about it, build the confidence through grinding out some results.
“You want to play nice football, but you’ve got to find a way to win first and, once you do that, hard work, attitude, application. It might not be pretty at times, but from there you can grow and build.”
Grit your teeth, gird your loins and prepare for battle. Were there ever a situation tailor-made for Lisandro Martinez, this is it.