Manchester United fans' worst fears have been realised after it was confirmed that Lisandro Martinez will miss the rest of this season.
The Argentine World Cup winner had to be carried off by some of his compatriots during United's 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Europa League and his extended absence will give manager Erik ten Hag yet another starting XI conundrum.
Here's what we know about the injury and when Martinez may return.
What injury has Lisandro Martinez got?
United have confirmed that Martinez has fractured a metatarsal in his right foot.
Such an injury can take six weeks to several months to recover from and will require surgery, which is what is making certain United fans rather itchy.
What Man Utd games will Lisandro Martinez miss?
Martinez's season is over and he will miss a minimum of 11 games. United have insisted that the defender should be fit in time for the start of the 2023/24 season.
United's Europa League progress has been threatened by the 2-2 draw with Sevilla, while they must overcome Brighton in the FA Cup semi finals to reach the competition's final. Should United reach the finals of both competitions, Martinez would miss an additional four games to the ones already in the club's 2022/23 calendar.
Man Utd's upcoming fixture list
- 16/04/2023 - Nottingham Forest v Manchester United (17:30)
- 20/04/2023 - Sevilla v Manchester United (Europa League, 20:00)
- 23/04/2023 - Brighton v Manchester United (FA Cup, 16:30)
- 27/04/2023 - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United (20:15)
- 30/04/2023 - Manchester United v Aston Villa (14:00)
- 04/05/2023 - Brighton v Manchester United (20:00)
- 07/05/2023 - West Ham United v Manchester United (19:00)
- 13/05/2023 - Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers (15:00)
- 20/05/2023 - A.F.C. Bournemouth v Manchester United (15:00)
- 28/05/2023 - Manchester United v Fulham (16:30)
- TBA - Manchester United v Chelsea
Who could replace Lisandro Martinez?
The major problem Ten Hag has right now is he needs to replace two outstanding central defenders during United's imminent schedule, with Raphael Varane also getting injured in the draw with Sevilla - he is set to miss the next few weeks of action.
Club captain Harry Maguire, whose stock among United fans is pretty low, is in line to feature in the first choice duo's absence, while Luke Shaw was played in central defence earlier in the season and could shuffle infield once more. He is also injured right now, however.
Victor Lindelof is even further down the pecking order, while Casemiro could be deployed at the back if Ten Hag doesn't trust his remaining options.