According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez is set to return to the first-team squad following a lengthy injury layoff, though his position has been firmly occupied by Luke Shaw.
Reports claim that some reassuring scenes emerged from Carrington Training Ground this week. In training photos released by Manchester United, Lisandro Martínez was prominently featured—marking his first return to grass training with teammates since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear against Crystal Palace back in February.
When he departed due to injury, Manchester United lost not just a key leader within the team. Martínez was a regular starter in the club's defense, an indispensable part of the back five at a time when Rúben Amorim had extremely limited defensive options at his disposal.
However, upon his return this weekend, he will find that the starting spot he once held firmly now belongs to Luke Shaw. When Martínez entered the treatment room at Carrington for his injury, Shaw was already there, recovering from a muscle problem of his own.
That was Shaw's third major injury of the 2024/25 season, and it seemed unlikely that he would ever compete for a regular place in the starting eleven again. Yet by November, he had started 11 consecutive Premier League matches—his first such streak since 2023.
The English defender has fully deserved this position. Aside from a widely criticized poor performance against Manchester City, Shaw has been in top form on the left side of the three-center-back system, making his omission from the England squad all the more surprising.
With Martínez's return to the Manchester United squad, he now faces a situation where he may need to be patient for a starting opportunity. The Argentine defender may have hoped for a gradual return to the first team, but even when fully fit, he will likely only get a chance to play if Shaw makes a mistake.
This is undoubtedly a challenge that Martínez will embrace willingly, but for the 27-year-old, the next 18 months will be crucial. His contract expires in the summer of 2027, and if he fails to displace Shaw, his time at the club could be coming to an end.