In a severe blow to Manchester United’s aspirations of climbing back the ladder, ace defender Lisandro Martinez has just crashed out of the Fantasy Premier League 2024-25 with an ACL tear. The Argentina international injured himself while attempting a tackle on Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr last weekend and had to leave the field on a stretcher.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim expressed his deep concern about Martinez’s injury in his post-match conference on Sunday: “A bad situation for us and especially for Licha. I think we are going to see in the next days but I think it is a serious situation.” Lisandro himself looked quite distressed and in severe pain, as he was forced off the pitch while in tears.
We had earlier suggested you to offload Licha, as various reports of a possible anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury were doing the rounds. Today, Manchester United has officially confirmed that ‘The Butcher’ has sustained an ACL tear and will be out for a significant period.
“Manchester United can confirm that Lisandro Martinez suffered an injury to his cruciate ligament in Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace. Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and the timescale for his rehabilitation. Everyone at Manchester United wishes Lisandro Martinez strength for a successful recovery and we will be supporting him every step of the way.” — the club statement read.
Going by the norm, an ACL injury requires at least six months of rest along with a further 2-3 months in recovery. Therefore, now it would be safe to say that his season is over. Licha could have been a smart fantasy asset now, as Manchester United had Spurs, Everton, Ipswich, and Leicester in the next five.
His price-tag of £4.4m would have created a lot of appeal alongside his low ownership (less than 4%) making him a great differential. The Argentine centre-back was also scoring goals at times, struck twice in his last three PL outings before the Crystal Palace match. However, he is now clearly out of our fantasy plans for the remainder of the season.
In case you have Licha, he is an immediate sell as his price will start falling like nothing. You may fill your budget defender category with Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, who is providing great value before double gameweek 25.
