Why Lisandro Martinez Is Starting for Man Utd vs. Leeds After Attacking Club Bosses

Carrick had a firm response to explain the reconciliation after Martínez’s explosive comments.

Michael Carrick (left) has not burned any bridges with Lisandro Martínez. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has insisted that he and everyone else at the club have “moved on” from Lisandro Martínez’s explosive midweek comments by way of explaining the defender’s selection in Sunday’s starting XI against Leeds United.

In the immediate aftermath of Martínez’s stunning outburst on Tuesday night, when the Argentina international used his postmatch media duties to call out a perceived lack of investment in this summer’s transfer window, there were concerns that his Manchester United career may have ended in the bowels of Atlético Madrid’s stadium.

Yet, just five days later, Martínez hasn’t even been dropped to the bench.

“What’s done is done and we’ve moved on,” Carrick sternly told Sky Sports, pointing toward Martínez’s belated apology, which was the second clarification of his damning statement. “So we have done that and we’ve prepared the team. We know their threats, their strengths, we know that. We’ve got some as well, so we’ll get the balance right.”

Carrick has taken a defiantly upbeat attitude despite United’s crumbling form. The manager who has insisted that his team remain “in the mix” for Premier League and Champions League glory was similarly confident about Sunday’s clash.

“It’s a challenging place to come, of course it is, but it’s a fantastic game to be involved with and we’re in a good place to come and attack it and look forward to it,” Carrick claimed. “You’ve got to bring a little bit of everything, and none more so than today. The atmosphere and the intensity that naturally is generated in a game like this is something that brings it out in us as well.”

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Man Utd Confirmed Lineup vs. Leeds

Starting XI (4-2-2-2): Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Diogo Dalot; Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba; Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans; Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo.

Substitutes: Karl Darlow, Harry Amass, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Shea Lacey, Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee,

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Man Utd’s Limited Options to Replace Lisandro Martinez

Matthijs de Ligt is working his way back. | Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

For all Carrick’s talk of reconciliation, this is a decision of mutual convenience. United are desperately short of defensive options who could potentially replace Martínez and line up alongside Harry Maguire.

• Matthijs de Ligt: Not started a Premier League game since November 2025
• Leny Yoro: Needed at right back
• Ayden Heaven: Not even made the matchday roster
• Luke Shaw: Injured

Leny Yoro would be the most obvious choice but the versatile Frenchman has been chosen at right back while Noussair Mazraoui continues to recover from a back problem sustained on international duty. Neither Ayden Heaven nor Luke Shaw have been even fit enough to make the matchday roster while Matthijs de Ligt is still short of match sharpness.

The Netherlands international has not played a single second of competitive soccer for almost 11 months. A nagging back problem required surgery which forced De Ligt to miss the World Cup and he has only recently been eased back into first-team training.

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