Terraces recognise Martinez as a cult hero - and he will be missed on pitch

LISANDRO Martinez was off the pitch the only time Ollie Watkins scored against United and the Aston Villa frontman will be spared a duel with the Argentine on Sunday.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Watkins put Villa 1-0 up at Old Trafford in the League Cup last season, running onto a threaded pass and clipping the ball over future pub quiz question answer Martin Dubravka. The defender Jacob Ramsey’s curved pass evaded was Harry Maguire.

Maguire was only starting on a rotational basis as it was a domestic cup game. Martinez was back in the starting XI three days later for that week’s priority – Fulham away.

That was United’s final fixture before players flocked to Qatar for the World Cup. It was also the evening that the mood on the team’s flight back to Manchester was sullied by the realisation that Cristiano Ronaldo had conducted an incendiary interview with Talk TV. Martinez got a shout-out from

Ronaldo, who named him as one of only three team-mates he admired. Martinez was barely three months into his United career and was already recognised as a cult hero by those on the terraces.

He will be missed over the next eight weeks. Martinez is certain to miss seven fixtures but the tail-end of his lay-off handily coincides with the March internationals. London is calling for the centre half at Brentford on March 30 or Chelsea four days later.