Erik ten Hag confirms vital Manchester United player could return against Brentford

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is hopeful that Lisandro Martinez will be able to feature in Saturday's Premier League clash with Brentford.

The centre-back has been on the sidelines with a knee injury since the start of February, but he stepped up his recovery over the international break, linking up with his Argentina teammates in the United States.

Martinez is now in line to return for the 20-time English champions in what would be a huge fitness boost at a vital stage of the 2023-24 campaign.

"Yes, there is a chance [back in squad]. We have missed him every game because he brings a composure in the team, a calmness in the team," Ten Hag told reporters when asked about a potential return for the defender.

"At the same time, a winning attitude and he can express this very clearly. He can transfer that into the team and that contributes a lot to our levels."

Martinez will be looking to put his injury problems behind him

The 26-year-old has been restricted to just 10 appearances at club level this season, having missed a chunk of action in the first half of the campaign after undergoing a second foot operation of 2023.

The Argentine's 2022-23 campaign was cut short due to the fractured metatarsal that he suffered while facing Sevilla in the Europa League in April.

Martinez underwent an operation soon after the injury and was back for the start of pre-season training, but he struggled with pain in the area in the early stages of this term.

The ex-Ajax defender was forced to undergo more surgery to address the issue which had not fully healed, and he was back on the field in January, facing Tottenham Hotspur, Newport County and Wolverhampton Wanderers before picking up his knee problem against West Ham.

Man United are chasing FA Cup glory this season and are also locked in a battle to secure Champions League football for next term, so the club will be hoping that Martinez can put his injury issues behind him.

How is the rest of the Man United squad shaping up?

Man United will again definitely be missing Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial this weekend, while Amad Diallo is suspended following his red card against Liverpool in the FA Cup last time out.

However, Altay Bayindir, Jonny Evans, Casemiro and Harry Maguire are all seemingly in with chances of featuring this weekend following recent fitness problems.

"There are players returning, they are back on the pitch they are back in team training. We have one more training now. But it is most likely that we have some players back in the squad," said Ten Hag on Friday.

Aside from Maguire, who picked up a knock while representing England against Belgium, the Red Devils did not suffer any fresh injuries from the international fixtures.

Man United will be bidding to make it three straight wins in all competitions when they head to West London on Saturday evening to tackle Thomas Frank's Brentford outfit.