Is Lisandro Martinez suspended? Explaining why Manchester United defender will miss Europa League first leg clash against Barcelona

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez will miss the UEFA Europa League playoff first-leg clash against Barcelona at Camp Nou on February 16.

The Argentine picked up three yellow cards during the group stages of the competition and has suffered a suspension as a result. As per UEFA rules, any player with three yellow cards in the group stages will be further suspended for accumulating odd numbers of yellow cards.

Martinez has been suspended as a result. Apart from the central defender, the likes of Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Antony are also expected to miss the game against Barcelona.

Alongside Raphael Varane, Martinez has been a crucial player in Manchester United's defense this season. He has made 21 appearances for the Red Devils in the Premier League this season, keeping five clean sheets.

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Manchester United star Marcel Saitzer spoke ahead of the Barcelona showdown

Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Premier League

Manchester United's loan-signing Marcel Sabitzer claimed that the spirit of the team is high ahead of their clash against Barcelona. Speaking after the 2-0 win against Leeds United on February 12, Sabitzer said (via the Red Devils' official website):

"You can feel it, from the first moment here, Leeds away is a big game and we have to win those games. We were ready for it, the attitude was good. We knew before [Leeds at home] they would be two tough games and we had to be focused right until the end."

The Austrian was further asked about whether he would join the club on a permanent basis. Sabitzer replied:

"It's a loan and that's all I can say [about that] at the moment, What I can say is I'm feeling very good here, I like the team, I like the club, I like the atmosphere at Old Trafford... so we will see what happens in the summer."

Speaking about the team's chances of winning trophies, Sabitzer said:

"It's hard [to win the title], we are a bit behind them but, as I said, we'll keep going and doing our job, There are big games ahead so we have to keep going and keep the energy high and then we will see what happens at the end of the season."

Sabitzer joined Manchester United on loan from Bayern Munich in January following Christian Eriksen's injury.