Martinez thigh injury adds to Manchester United concerns after Leeds draw

Lisandro Martinez was substituted at half-time with a thigh injury during Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday, BBC Sport reported. The defender's departure added to Michael Carrick's selection concerns on a day when United again failed to end their run without a victory.

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Carrick brought on Noussair Mazraoui rather than Matthijs de Ligt. According to the BBC, the decision reflected the need to manage De Ligt's fitness after almost 11 months out with a back problem. The report did not establish how long Martinez might be unavailable, leaving the consequences of his injury uncertain.

United had already changed their defensive personnel before kick-off. Diogo Dalot became the fifth player to start at left-back for the club this season, with Luke Shaw's availability for Wednesday's Champions League visit to Como still uncertain. BBC Sport also reported that Martinez had started against Leeds after apologising for the timing and setting of his public criticism of the club's recruitment.

Carrick nevertheless expressed confidence that United could recover from their difficult start. In comments reported by the Guardian, the head coach said he had seen purpose and intensity from his players and believed they remained capable of putting together a winning run. He acknowledged the disappointment surrounding their league position rather than presenting the draw as a resolution to their problems.

The result left United with seven points from seven Premier League matches. Their only league victory came against Ipswich in August, and the draw at Elland Road followed another 1-1 result against Tottenham the previous weekend. Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the first half at Leeds before Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised after the interval, the Guardian reported.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke was frustrated that his side did not turn their performance into a victory. Speaking after the match, he said Leeds had been the dominant team but lacked quality around the penalty area. Farke stressed the importance of more clinical finishing, while Carrick's assessment focused on maintaining stability and translating his players' response into wins.