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Martinez went down in agony against Palace before being replaced by Matthijs De Ligt after 82 minutes Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee which is set to rule the centre-back out for the rest of the season. The 27-year-old was taken off on a stretcher late on during the home defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday with an issue United boss Ruben Amorim described at the time as a "serious situation". "Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and the timescale for his rehabilitation, " Manchester United said on Thursday. "Everyone at Manchester United wishes Lisandro Martinez strength for a successful recovery and we will be supporting him every step of the way. " Martinez's absence will be a blow for Amorim as he tries to improve the fortunes of the Old Trafford side. United are 13th in the Premier League after the defeat by Palace, which was the club's seventh loss in 13 home games this season. The news comes at a time when there are renewed doubts over the fitness of left-back Luke Shaw, who has not started a game for United in almost 12 months. "Licha [Martinez] is really important for us, not just as a football player but the character he has, especially in this hard moment, " Amorim said after the Palace game. "Now it's time for us to help Licha. " According to research from Ben Dinnery of Premier Injuries, Martinez is the 10th player in the Premier League to suffer an anterior knee ligament injury (ACL) this season. Tottenham announced this week that defender Radu Dragusin had injured his ACL in his right knee in a Europa League win against Elfsborg. He is expected to be out for at least six months, although some ACL injuries can keep players out of action for up to a year. Seven of this season's 10 ACLs have come this year, with five players having suffered a similar injury in January. There were nine during the 2023-24 campaign, while Emiliano Buendia and Wesley Fofana suffered ACL injuries in pre-season before. The last time the number of ACLs reached double figures during a season was when there were 12 in 2016-17. A three-year project on ACL injury prevention is ongoing in the Women's Super League. Research suggests female footballers are two to six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than their male counterparts. Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Get Man Utd news notifications India going well after England's new-ball success Football latest: FA Cup news conferences, Martinez suffers ACL injury & EFL Cup build-up Real Madrid legend Marcelo retires aged 36 Reggae’s first and greatest superstar, Bob Marley Bob Marley's first steps into the music industry, from a rural village to the yards of Kingston A compelling insight into the UK's criminal justice system A skeleton is found in an abandoned building. Was it murder? Explore Charles Darwin's curious mind Naomi Alderman dissects the minds of brilliant thinkers The battle over rewiring Britain Justin Rowlatt investigates the huge clean energy projects that are stirring anger across Britain Who rivals Dupont as Six Nations' greatest player? 'Howe's Newcastle can assume legendary status forever' Why Milan's Winter Olympic sliding events could be held 4, 000 miles away 'He's just a beast' - How Scotland's Darge became a Lions contender 'It is a revolution' - how rugby is taking Paris Dreary or incredible? Burnley's records divides fans Kelce and Swift - an NFL love story that almost never was Superstars compete at Alpine World Ski Championships - how to watch 'Football dreams & a business empire' - Ronaldo's relentless drive at 40 Meet the girls pushing to become future F1 stars In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week 'A brutal reality for Man Utd' - Mc Nulty's deadline day verdict Best free agent ever? The story behind Barkley's stunning season Five talking points from opening Six Nations games Chiefs bid for immortality - countdown to Super Bowl 59 begins Were Australia really 16-0 better than England? The painful divorce of Marcus Rashford and Manchester United How Forest's Elanga & Gibbs-White 'ran Brighton ragged' Video How Forest's Elanga & Gibbs-White 'ran Brighton ragged' Are we in a golden age of the Six Nations? Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.