Manchester United‘s Lisandro Martinez picked up “a little problem on his ankle” during the first half of Monday’s Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to his centre-back partner Raphael Varane.
Martinez was booked in the 16th minute of the match at Old Trafford after a late challenge on Wolves attacker Pedro Neto, and he had a couple of other nervy moments against Gary O’Neil‘s side in the opening 45 minutes of the contest.
The Argentina international did not emerge for the second period in Manchester, with Victor Lindelof replacing him in the middle of the defence.
The change, at the time, was thought to be tactical, with Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag seemingly not prepared to risk the centre-back being sent off in the team’s opening match of the new campaign.
However, Varane, who netted the only goal of the match at Old Trafford, has claimed that Martinez suffered a minor injury in the opening 45 minutes.
“A little problem on his ankle, tendon,” Varane told BBC Sport when asked why his fellow defender was taken off. “We’ll see but I don’t think it’s a big deal. We’ll see how he is this week.”
Man United will now assess the issue ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Varane netted the winner against Wolves in the 76th minute, but the Red Devils conceded a number of excellent opportunities, with the visitors the better side for long spells.
“They were more aggressive [than] we were, but then still, we have to find a way to win the game. That is what we did and then you see the spirit of the team and the willingness to win,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports News.
“And we’re happy. I was really pleased with the win, of course, and it was a fight. It’s all about [getting] back into the season. We know we have to fight for our points and on the ball. It wasn’t a great game outside but we had to fight. We have to find a way to win and that’s what we did.
“They were very relaxed today on the ball. I think Wolves played very well. You know, when you see their performance in the spring and when you see the performance during the pre-season, when you follow that, it’s a good team.
“Ultimately, [it was] the way we battled and continued to battle, especially late on in the game. I think there was definite energy with the subs, which was good.
“I saw data from last season and we were the team with the most subs scoring goals, which is very good. You need that spirit because it’s not about 11 players. It’s about a squad.”
Wolves had a late shout for a penalty when Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana collided with the away side’s striker Sasa Kalajdzic, but the VAR officials determined that a clear error had not been made by the referee in what was a controversial decision.
