Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez Faces International Setback: Nightmare Start to Duty

Lisandro Martinez’s International Duty Nightmare

• Lisandro Martinez has experienced difficulties in his international duty, particularly with Argentina.
• Agent: The Argentine national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, initially dropped Martinez due to form concerns and fatigue.
• Performance: Martinez was replaced by Nicolas Otamendi in a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela. Otamendi scored the opening goal but had a subpar performance, earning a 5/10 rating from The Goal website.
• Recall: Scaloni has indicated that Martinez is fit to start again, acknowledging that sometimes tactical decisions can be made in error. He emphasized that Martinez will likely return to the starting lineup soon.
• Team Situation: Manchester United’s central defensive partnership featuring Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt, with Manuel Ugarte in front, has not reached the expected level despite their potential on paper[2][3].
• Gary Neville’s Perspective: Former Man United legend Gary Neville suggests that Erik ten Hag should consider changing the defensive setup, possibly adopting a 3-4-3 formation where Martinez could excel as a left center-back. Neville believes the current pair of center-halves lacks cohesion and suggests it might be beneficial to shuffle the defensive line[3].