Martinez carried off by Sevilla players in major Man Utd injury worry

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez had to be carried off by Sevilla players on Thursday night as he was unable to exit the pitch under his own steam. The Argentine became emotional upon realising the extent of his injury, which could give manager Erik ten Hag a major headache between now and the end of the season.

Martinez has been a smash hit at Old Trafford since arriving in a £57million deal from Ajax last summer. Despite early concerns over his height, the 25-year-old quickly won fans over with his tenacity and fearlessness at the back.

He and Raphael Varane have been Ten Hag’s undisputed centre-back pairing this campaign, with United on course to finish in the top four. But things could get difficult for the Red Devils boss from here on out after Martinez suffered a worrying-looking injury against Sevilla on Thursday night.

Just five minutes before the end of their Europa League quarter-final first leg, the defender went down on the ball with nobody around him. He then had to be carried off the pitch by opposition players Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel – who are his international team-mates.

Martinez appeared to burst into tears on the sidelines when trying to put weight on his right foot, which will not have been a welcome sight for Ten Hag. The extent of his injury is not yet clear but early speculation suggests it could be an achilles problem.

To quite literally add insult to injury, Varane also came off with a knock earlier in the game. United’s deputy defenders didn’t shower themselves in glory at Old Trafford as Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire both scored own-goals in the final 10 minutes. Martinez’s injury capped what turned out to be a dreary night for the hosts, who blew a two-goal lead in front of their supporters.

Many expected United to wipe the floor with Sevilla on home turf. The Spanish side are only five points clear of the relegation zone in La Liga and recently sacked manager Jorge Sampaoli.

Now led by veteran boss Jose Luis Mendibilar, Sevilla exacted satisfying revenge on Thursday night after themselves blowing a two-goal lead last time out, with Celta Vigo scoring twice beyond the 88th minute to snatch a draw.