Lisandro Martinez is in contention to play against Leeds United on Sunday, Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has confirmed.
Martinez launched a blistering attack on United’s hierarchy following Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, blasting director of football Jason Wilcox for failing to adequately back Carrick in the transfer market.
The Argentina international’s decision to speak out drew criticism from some former United players but were supported by large sections of the club’s support following United’s worst start to a Premier League season.
On Thursday, Martinez issued an apology after talks with club bosses with Carrick insisting the matter is now resolved ahead of Sunday’s trip to Elland Road.
Get personalised updates on your favourite club
Sign up to our daily football newsletter, pick your team and get the latest news sent directly to your inbox every morning.
‘It’s done,’ Carrick told reporters on Friday. ‘We’ve moved on from that. It was one of those things.
‘As a group we’ve moved on. It’s really not a drama for the group. The squad have trained really well and they are in good spirits.
‘It was pretty simple. We understood the situation. Licha understood he made a mistake. We have a really good felling from the club.
‘Results wise it hasn’t gone our way, but the spirit and togetherness. We can see in the group we want to do something with this situation.
‘We’ve moved on. Genuinely. There is a freshness about the group.
‘He [Martinez] is available.’
Opposition view: If Calvert-Lewin targets Martinez, it’s over
Even looking past this week’s chaos, the subject of Martinez’s form raises questions over whether he should be starting this weekend.
The centre-half was bullied by Dominic Solanke last weekend and has been out of form in the early stages of the season – like most of his teammates, it must be said.
But the prospect of Martinez going out against Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a worrying one from a United perspective with the Leeds striker looking fearsome leading the line.
Former Leeds centre-half Matt Kilgallon says he ‘fears’ for the Argentine if he starts on Sunday on what could be a long afternoon in west Yorkshire.
‘We saw what happened last time – Solanke was a player who was low on confidence and not playing too well,’ Kilgallon told Metro via Romanian mobile casino apps.
‘Calvert-Lewin can jump higher than him and is stronger than him, and he’s playing really, really well. So if Martinez somehow is playing, I’d pray for Martinez.
‘I think it’ll be definitely something Farke is saying, get it out wide, cross that ball in and if DCL can pull onto Martinez, it’s gonna be game over.
‘Martinez tries to fight the striker, because he’s worried about his height. He’s a very small centre-half but you can’t just try and fight. You’ve got to attack the ball, and there’s always someone stronger than you, and sometimes you’ve got to have the confidence.
‘I think sometimes when you are low on confidence, you make bad decisions and if he was playing well or playing for Argentina, he probably would have marked him properly.’
Asked about his own reaction to Martinez’s comments, Carrick said he respected Martinez’s passion but insisted it must be carried ‘in the right way.’
‘I understand the emotion. We ask for passion, Carrick said. ‘There’s a way in doing that and that’s been acknowledged. But we need to carry that passion in the right way.’
Martinez was at fault for Dominic Solanke’s late equaliser as Tottenham rescued a draw at Old Trafford last Saturday and played the full 90 in Madrid midweek.
Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo both missed the Atletico defeat through injury with both players doubts for the trip to Leeds with Benjamin Sesko still absent.