Lisandro Martínez set to join Argentina camp despite no United return

Lisandro Martínez is expected to join Argentina during the upcoming international window even though he has yet to make his Manchester United comeback. Club sources believe high-intensity work with the national team could accelerate his recovery, a route the defender has taken before. From a rival vantage point, this reads like another sign United are managing from weakness: easing him away from competitive minutes while calling it “high-level training.” Predictably, the timeline looks longer, not shorter. Don’t be shocked if he returns to Carrington still short of match sharpness and weeks away from Premier League action.

The development emerges ahead of the international break, with Manchester United open to Martínez linking up with Argentina for structured, high-intensity training under the Albiceleste staff. This approach has precedent, as the club previously allowed the center-back to spend international windows with his national setup to maintain standards and morale. Internally, the belief is that targeted sessions and controlled loads with familiar coaches can benefit his recovery and mindset. The player remains short of a club comeback, but the door is open for him to participate in camp activities without immediate match involvement.

🚨 JUST IN: Lisandro Martinez could join up with Argentina in the international break, even though he might not have made his comeback for United. It’s understood that United feel Martinez’s recovery may be better served by training at a high level with Argentina rather than

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a competitive standpoint, this is a headache for Manchester United and a gift for their rivals. A defender of Martínez’s caliber—aggressive front-foot duels, elite body orientation when defending the box, and crisp line-breaking passes—doesn’t just slot back in at 70%. He needs rhythm, timing, and confidence in contact. Shuttling to a national camp without club minutes suggests United are still juggling fitness thresholds versus tactical needs, and that typically extends timelines.

United’s defensive structure, already fragile without his leadership on the left side of central defense, loses the organizing voice that aligns the full-back and the holding midfielder. Build-up becomes flatter, and the press lacks that first pass that breaks the initial line. Opponents can target those gaps, especially between the left center-back channel and the six, where Martínez usually compresses space and triggers recoveries.

For Argentina, the camp time may help reestablish his coordination with the back line and refresh automatisms. But for the club season, rivals will circle upcoming fixtures expecting a United unit still in flux. Even if the medical rationale holds, transitioning from controlled national-team drills to Premier League tempo is a two-step process. Net effect: short-term United vulnerability increases, and league adversaries will plan to press and isolate the makeshift left side. If there’s any reactionary setback, the ripple could stretch well beyond the break.

Reaction

Online reactions split into familiar camps. United-leaning voices welcome any path that gets Martínez sharper, prioritizing elite, structured sessions with Argentina. As one fan urged, “do whatever it takes to get him up to 100%.” Another pointed out this isn’t unprecedented—the club have previously allowed him to train with the national setup during breaks, and the camaraderie plus standards can help his mindset and intensity.

But there’s plenty of skepticism, especially from rival bases. The thread drew its share of off-topic noise and promotional spam—typical of high-traffic football posts—yet underneath, the core concern remains: if he’s not ready for United minutes, what’s the upside of travel and non-club monitoring? Critics argue this is optics over substance, deferring the reality that his match fitness isn’t close.

Some supporters frame it as a pragmatic compromise: let Argentina staff push him at a level that may be hard to replicate in a fragmented club week, then reassess. Rivals, meanwhile, gleefully predict a longer road back, reading the move as confirmation that setbacks or caution persist. The tone swings from hopeful—trust the process—to snide—another detour that delays his return to Premier League intensity.

Social reactions

It’s not the first time the club have allowed Licha to train with Argentina during an international break. High level training and in company of his home mates is good for the mindset!

Li Mosi (@sundaymosi)

Yeah do whatever it takes to get him up to 100% or close to that

UWT (@UtdWrestlinTalk)

🚨🗣️ Cristiano Ronaldo: "He’s [Amorim] is doing his best. What are you going to do? Miracles. Miracles is impossible. We say in Portugal, ‘Miracles is only in Fatima’... And he’s not gonna do miracles. They have good players but they don’t have, some of them, in mind what

UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive)

Prediction

Scenario 1 (most likely): Martínez completes controlled, high-tempo sessions with Argentina, focuses on non-contact and patterned defensive drills, and returns to the club sharper but still shy of match rhythm. Expect further conditioning, an in-house friendly, then a bench appearance before a gradual reintroduction. Timeline: multiple weeks rather than days—rivals will expect he misses at least the first league fixture post-break.

Scenario 2 (risk path): Travel load and intensity changes expose lingering vulnerabilities. He experiences a precautionary setback—tightness or a minor strain—forcing United into another conservative reset. That pushes a competitive return even deeper into the calendar, compounding defensive instability and inviting pressure on the coaching staff’s rotation.

Scenario 3 (optimistic for Argentina, less so for United): He responds brilliantly to camp conditions, logs limited national-team minutes, and returns confident. Yet, without club-match continuity, United still stagger his minutes to avoid overload, delaying a full 90 at Premier League tempo. Any way you slice it, this detour suggests the club will prioritize caution. From a rival lens, the smart money is on a drawn-out ramp—useful for opponents targeting United’s left-center channel across the next block of fixtures.

Latest today

• Leverkusen CEO drops transfer hint: Florian Wirtz would join Real Madrid if Xabi calls
• Manchester United set to let Jadon Sancho leave on a free this summer
• Cristiano Ronaldo urges smarter leadership as he laments Manchester United’s struggles
• Viktor Gyökeres injury update: Spurs clash in doubt despite ‘minor’ label

Conclusion

For a defender who changes the geometry of United’s back line, the optics here are telling. If he were truly on the cusp, he’d be playing controlled minutes in red before boarding any plane. Instead, United outsource intensity to Argentina, essentially admitting his competitive readiness is a phase away. The multi-stage climb—camp sharpness, club reintegration, match rhythm—doesn’t compress into a neat, one-game flip.

Rivals will relish the timing. Without Martínez, United’s buildup loses its progressive hinge, their press lacks snap on the left, and the penalty-area coverage becomes reactive instead of proactive. Even a clean camp doesn’t shortcut the need for controlled club minutes. Expect the staff to slow-cook his return: substitute cameos, then a cautious start, then rotation management.

Bottom line: United get the player’s head and habits pointed in the right direction under Argentina’s standards, but league opponents likely enjoy at least a short window where United remain structurally exposed. Until Martínez is not just fit but match-tuned, the competitive edge he brings is theoretical. That, more than anything, is why this story reads like a delay dressed as a solution.