Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has revealed that he almost quit football during his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last year.
The Argentina international suffered an unlucky ACL injury in February 2025 which required surgery and left him on the sidelines for about 10 months.
The 27-year-old returned to action at the end of November and has featured in the Red Devils’ last 10 matches across all competitions.
“After the first two or three weeks, I didn’t want to play football anymore. Because I’d already gone through the foot fracture, and now the knee … I said, ‘That’s it, I don’t want to know anything else,’ Martinez revealed.
“When I get injured, I lose my balance completely because the pain is unbearable.
“My first reaction was: ‘I’m going home, I’m going to be with my family in Argentina. Enough, I don’t want to suffer anymore, I want to be well, I want to enjoy life.’ But when you are unbalanced, you can say anything because you aren’t connected with yourself. I obviously accepted those three weeks of mourning, where I wasn’t myself.”
Martinez moved to England in 2022 under former manager Erik Ten Hag, but has seen his time at the club hampered by multiple injury setbacks.
The defender has missed over 90 matches for club and country in this period, with recurring foot injury and back problems until the ACL tear.
“I feel very well. I was a bit surprised because I thought coming back would be harder, but we managed my minutes well; it was all very progressive. The club did a great job and that helped a lot in making me feel good now. Physically and mentally, I am better than ever”, he concluded.
Martinez rarely played under former head coach Ruben Amorim, but will be hoping for a better time under new caretaker manager Michael Carrick, who joined the club earlier in the week.
Manchester United host city rivals Manchester City in Saturday’s early kickoff, hoping to begin their campaign under the interim head coach with a win.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
