Manchester United star might need another operation to recover from foot injury - Reports 

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez may need to undergo another operation in order to fully recover from his foot injury, according to reports.

The Argentine picked up the injury in April at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. However, he continued to play on despite not being completely fit, the club has confirmed in an official statement on their website.

Manchester United stated that the World Cup winner will now be sidelined for an extended period as they continue to assess the injury. Martinez had a problem with his foot in his side's 3-1 loss to Arsenal earlier this month.

However, the defender returned to action after the international break despite being unfit. According to Sky Sports, the former Ajax defender may require another operation on his foot in order to fully recover and is expected to be out for two months.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has addressed the defender's fitness, admitting that he is upset the Argentine will not be available for selection.

When asked whether starting Martinez when he was unfit was not a wise decision, the Dutch boss said in a pre-match press conference ahead of their weekend encounter against Crystal Palace (as quoted by Metro):

"So we did a proper diagnostic but [they also did] in Argentina as well. Now, it [has] came out that there was a problem, that’s very sad, first place of course for Licha, but also for the team because he wasn’t 100 percent fit."

It remains to be seen who Ten Hag will rely on now that Martinez has been sidelined for an extended period.

Chris Sutton explains what will be different in Manchester United's PL encounter against Crystal Palace after beating them in EFL Cup

Manchester United locked horns with Crystal Palace in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (27 September). The Red Devils secured a 3-0 victory over the Eagles thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, and Casemiro.

Ten Hag's men are set to face Palace once again at Old Trafford on Saturday (September 30), but this time in the Premier League. Pundit Chris Sutton has cited what will be the key difference in the upcoming fixture.

The Englishman believes the two sides will field their best lineups this time around. Sutton, however, backed Manchester United to secure all three points, predicting a 2-1 scoreline. He told BBC Sport:

"Erik ten Hag could breathe a little bit easier after United's win over Burnley last weekend, which ended a run of three defeats, and it was important they backed it up midweek. United did that when they comfortably beat Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday."

"But the difference when they meet again this time is that both teams will field their strongest line-ups. We know Palace will set up to be resilient and aim to hit United on the counter-attack, and I am expecting this game to be a lot closer - but United should come out on top again."