Lisando Martinez was substituted at halftime in Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. This is why.
Despite an uninspired showing against an unfancied Wolves, Raphael Varane’s second-half header secured United’s first win.
Indeed, Gary O’Neil’s team dominated at Old Trafford, but Matheus Cunha missed a fantastic opportunity to put Wolves ahead early in the second half.
Furthermore, while United debutant Andre Onana made several excellent stops throughout the game, he collided with Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic in stoppage time while failing to recover the ball. Wolves’ appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears, and O’Neil was booked for his protests.
Martinez, the Argentina international who was substituted at halftime, was one of the game’s talking points.
The 25-year-old was booked after a robust challenge in the first period, and it was suspected that he was hooked at the break to avoid receiving another caution.
However, match-winner Varane stated to the BBC that the 25-year-old was withdrawn due to an injury.
Why Martinez was substituted
According to Varane, Martinez was substituted at the break due to an ankle problem.
The Frenchman explained: “A little problem on his ankle, tendon.
“We’ll see but I don’t think it’s a big deal. We’ll see how he is this week.”
Martinez sat out the second half, implying that any injury he did have was minor.
Meanwhile, Ten Hag did not provide an update on Martinez in his post-match press conference, implying that the injury is mild.
On the performance, however, Ten Hag told Sky Sports: “It was a tough game.
“We can do a lot of things better but also I see a lot of positive things. I saw six or seven good high-ball regains and then we have to take more from the turnovers. In a low block, we defended for our lives and we survived it.
“You have to find the foundation of the season and collect points. If we want to keep collecting points we will have to play better than we did today. But there were positives, the defensive organisation, the clean sheet and the mentality. We found a way to win.”
