Man Utd’s Martínez & Lindelof to miss next month with injury

Manchester United have been dealt a major injury blow this week. The club have revealed that defenders Lisandro Martínez and Victor Lindelöf will not feature in this week’s match against Chelsea or the following against Liverpool. The Red Devils defenders have been ruled out for a month.

This news comes on the heels of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Brentford where Man Utd gave up over 30 shots in the match. The injuries could also be a damning blow to the Red Devils’ chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

Lindelöf and Martinez out

Victor Lindelöf left Man Utd’s 1-1 draw against Brentford with a hamstring injury late in the second half as the Red Devils were trying to hold on to a 0-0 draw with the Bees. His replacement, Lisandro Martinez, came into the match after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury.

Now, both players have been ruled out for at least a month with injuries. Scans revealed Lindelöf’s hamstring injury is a serious one. Martinez, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury in training this week, leading into the Chelsea vs. Manchester United match.

Centre back crisis in Manchester

With Lindelöf and Martinez out with injuries, Manchester United are down to just one fully healthy centre back, Harry Maguire.

The Englishman came on to start the second half to replace Raphael Varane, who has been battling with injuries of his own recently. It’s unclear whether Varane is able to play a full match. Even if that is the case, he will likely need a rest at some point during the hectic run-in to close out the 2023/24 EPL season.

Luke Shaw has filled in to play centre back before, but he is also out with injury. 19-year-old Willy Kambwala is the most likely replacement for Lindelof, Martinez, and Varane. The French youth international has played four league games for Manchester United since his first-team debut back in December.

Manchester United Champions League odds

Man Utd are currently in 6th place and 11 points back of fourth. The betting sites give them virtually no chance of finishing in the top four. However, the Red Devils could still qualify for the Champions League if they can secure a fifth-place finish thanks to the new Champions League coefficient rules coming into effect next season.

Injuries to Martinez, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw and others make even that very unlikely though.

We’ll know whether Manchester United have any chance of qualifying through the league after this weekend. The Red Devils have two tough chances against Chelsea and Liverpool coming up. If they can get six points from those matches, qualifying for the Champions League could be possible.