Throughout a season fraught with challenges, Manchester United’s Amad Diallo has been vocal about the crucial support he received from Lisandro Martinez during his recovery from a significant injury. The young winger, Amad, has recently lauded Martinez for his leadership and pivotal role in helping him navigate through his recuperation period. As he works on regaining his fitness and securing his position in Erik ten Hag’s strategy, Amad’s commendation of Martinez shines a light on the latter’s impact both on and off the field.
Following a promising loan period at Sunderland, where Amad tallied 14 goals and provided four assists across 42 matches, the 21-year-old winger was gearing up for a standout season. Yet, his aspirations were temporarily derailed by a severe knee injury incurred during United’s preseason tour in the United States, sidelining him for five months. December saw his return to the main squad’s training sessions, and he subsequently made a 36-minute appearance in a match against Nottingham Forest on December 30, which ended in a 2-1 loss for United. Since then, Amad has been listed as an unused substitute in three matches.
In a heartfelt interview, Amad took a moment to highlight the instrumental role Martinez played during his recovery.
He said, “Lisandro is a fantastic person. He’s more than a player to me. He’s a leader. When I got injured, he was injured too, so he really helped me. He spoke to me a lot and told me not to worry about the injury, and the main thing was to stay positive and work hard to get back into the team, so I did what he and everyone else said.”
Martinez himself has faced his share of setbacks this season due to a recurring foot issue, which had previously disrupted the end of his first season in England. The World Cup winner made a comeback in January but was only able to participate in four games before encountering a new complication with the medial collateral ligament in his knee. This latest injury is expected to sideline him for an additional six to eight weeks, despite demonstrating the undeniable talent that United had missed during his short-lived return to play.