Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Lisandro Martinez was absent from the Red Devils' squad to face Burnley on Saturday due to injury.
The 20-time English champions ended a disheartening three-game losing run at Turf Moor, where a stunning volley from Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of half time proved decisive in a 1-0 Premier League win.
Fernandes's run in behind the Burnley defence was spotted by Jonny Evans, who also had a fairytale goal disallowed for offside before providing an exquisite assist for his captain.
Thirty-five-year-old Evans - who returned to Old Trafford on a short-term deal this summer - put in a strong shift on his first start for Man United since 2015, but his inclusion raised more than a few eyebrows.
Amid the Red Devils' ongoing injury crisis, Evans was chosen to partner Victor Lindelof in front of Andre Onana, and there was no sign of Argentina's Martinez at all in Ten Hag's matchday squad.
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The former Ajax man completed the full 90 minutes of Wednesday's Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, but Ten Hag revealed that the defender had to miss out on Saturday owing to a fitness issue.
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the game, Ten Hag said: "He's injured. Another one. So Licha had an issue, and he recovered from that. But, still, he needs some build-up.
"It's about the players who are available. We have to deal with the players who are available. So we don't make an issue from it. With the line-up we come with, we have to win."
Martinez's latest affliction is not expected to sideline him for long, but the 25-year-old has now been plagued by three separate injuries since the turn of the year, starting with the metatarsal fracture that ruled him out of the final few weeks of the 2022-23 campaign.
Martinez was also taken off with an injury in the Red Devils' 3-1 defeat to Arsenal before the international break, and he was forced to miss Argentina's World Cup qualifiers with Ecuador and Bolivia as a result.
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The defender recovered in time to feature in losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Bayern following the domestic hiatus, but he has now rejoined a torrent of injury victims in the Old Trafford treatment room.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Mason Mount and Harry Maguire were also ruled out of the trip to Turf Moor, despite the latter two returning to training with the team earlier this week.
On a much-needed positive note, Ten Hag welcomed Raphael Varane and Sofyan Amrabat back from their respective concerns, and both men were fit enough to come off the bench in the second half as the Red Devils saw out a nervy win.
Thanks to their three-point haul in Lancashire, Ten Hag's team have risen five places in the table up to eighth spot, and the Red Devils will now turn to the defence of their EFL Cup, which starts on Tuesday with a home tie against Crystal Palace in the third round.
Man United could potentially welcome Mount and Maguire back for the visit of the Eagles, but Antony and Jadon Sancho remain out amid their respective personal and disciplinary issues.
Ben Knapton
