Lisandro Martinez says he is back to 100 per cent and is ready for pre-season with Manchester United after undergoing surgery.
Martinez was forced to go under the knife after fracturing his metatarsal during United's Europa League quarter-final clash with Sevilla in April. He missed the end of the season, including United’s defeat by Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
The 25-year-old said in April that his surgery went “really well” and it seems that his recovery has also gone to plan. He has posted videos on Instagram which show him running with and without a ball on a football pitch in a United training kit.
He also tweeted: “So happy to be back 100%”. The latest updates come after he had initially returned to the gym in an effort to regain the strength he’d lost during the lay-off.
United will be back on the training pitches soon at Carrington ahead of their first pre-season fixture against Leeds in Oslo on July 12. Erik ten Hag will welcome back the players who have not just been away on international duty early in July.
Martinez could well be among those involved in the early training sessions, alongside Donny van de Beek, who has been sidelined since January with a knee injury. They could be joined by Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial because Varane retired from international football and Martial is recovering from a torn hamstring.
Antony is another first team player recovering from an injury, having missed the FA Cup final with an ankle problem. The Brazilian winger was not involved in the recent international break but could travel to Norway.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Jadon Sancho and Amad Diallo – who has returned from a loan spell at Sunderland – are others who could be involved if they remain at the club. The other players who played for their national teams recently, will be given three weeks off, meaning they’re not expected back until July 10.
United have a packed pre-season schedule. They will play Lyon in Edinburgh on July 19 before flying to New York for the start of their tour of the United States. Ten Hag’s side will play Arsenal in New York on July 22, Real Madrid on July 27 in Houston and Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas on July 30.
They will begin the 2023/24 season at Old Trafford against Wolves on August 14. They then face Tottenham and Nottingham Forest to conclude the first month of the season.
Before getting injured, Martinez enjoyed a solid debut campaign with United, making 45 appearances in all competitions. After joining in a £55million deal from Ajax, he established himself as Ten Hag’s first-choice centre-back and overturned concerns about his lack of height.
