ไทย
English
中國人
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has stated that he and the rest of the club have "moved on" from Lisandro Martínez's fiery midweek remarks, citing this as the reason behind the defender's inclusion in Sunday's starting lineup against Leeds United.
In the wake of Martínez's shocking outburst on Tuesday evening, when the Argentine star used his post-match press obligations to publicly criticize what he perceived as insufficient spending during the summer transfer window, many feared his time at Manchester United may have come to an abrupt end in the corridors beneath Atlético Madrid's ground.
Yet, merely five days on, Martínez has not even been relegated to the substitutes' bench.
"What's done is done and we've moved on," Carrick firmly told Sky Sports, referencing Martínez's eventual apology, which marked the second attempt to walk back his controversial remarks. "So we have done that and we've prepared the team. We know their threats, their strengths, we know that. We've got some as well, so we'll get the balance right."
Carrick has maintained a resolutely positive outlook despite United's deteriorating results. The manager, who has continued to assert that his side remains "in the mix" for both Premier League and Champions League success, expressed similar confidence ahead of Sunday's fixture.
"It's a tough place to visit, of course it is, but it's a brilliant game to be part of and we're well-positioned to come here and take the game on and look forward to it," Carrick said. "You've got to bring a little bit of everything, and none more so than today. The atmosphere and the intensity that naturally is generated in a game like this is something that brings it out in us as well."
Man Utd Confirmed Lineup vs. Leeds
Starting XI (4-2-2-2): Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Diogo Dalot; Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba; Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans; Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo.
Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Harry Amass, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Shea Lacey, Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee,
Man Utd's Limited Options to Replace Lisandro Martinez
Despite Carrick's talk of moving forward together, this is ultimately a decision driven by necessity. United find themselves critically lacking in defensive cover for anyone who might step in for Martínez alongside Harry Maguire.
Leny Yoro would be the most natural alternative, but the adaptable Frenchman has been deployed at right back while Noussair Mazraoui continues his recovery from a back injury picked up during international duty. Neither Ayden Heaven nor Luke Shaw have been fit enough to feature in the matchday squad, while Matthijs de Ligt remains short of competitive sharpness.
The Dutch international has not featured for even a single minute of competitive football in nearly 11 months. A persistent back complaint required surgical intervention, forcing De Ligt to sit out the World Cup, and he has only recently begun reintegrating into first-team training sessions.