The Butcher is back! Lisandro Martinez's return has been as much of a game-changer for Man Utd as Michael Carrick's appointment

In United's last game against Fulham, Martinez showed why he is so valuable to the Red Devils' attacking play in two instances at either end of the 3-2 win.

Early in the match, he took the ball from Casemiro just outside his own penalty area and hurried forward into the Fulham half before playing a simple but intelligent pass into Kobbie Mainoo, who was perfectly placed to release Amad Diallo for a curling effort which was tipped away by Bernd Leno.

Then, with United winded by Fulham’s two late goals, it was Martinez who sparked the move for Benjamin Sesko's eventual winner by playing a cross-field ball into Amad's path.

Martinez also produced the slide tackles and blocks which United fans love him for, but it is his ability with the ball which makes him such a game-changer, as he is able to play the role of part-defender, part-holding midfielder.

Martinez's calmness with the ball and his eagerness to get into both the middle of the pitch and down the left flank was also a big factor in United’s win at Arsenal the previous week, with the Argentine key to the Red Devils’ overcoming the Gunners' early dominance before going on to boss the second half.

Martinez's performance in the first game of this winning run under Carrick was, however, his best so far, as he marked Erling Haaland out of the derby win over Manchester City. Martinez’s sliding block on the Premier League’s top scorer was his most memorable contribution, but his highlights reel was considerable, as he made more sliding clearances and produced a brave diving header to get the ball the away. 

It was the perfect response to Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes’ ludicrous prediction before the game that Martinez would get chucked around like a toddler by Haaland. The two legendary United midfielders had not only shown a lack of respect to one of the best and most committed players in the squad, but their analysis was lazy and plain wrong. 

Martinez was written off early on when he signed for United due to his height - or lack thereof - but he quickly showed the other side to his game, and anyone who still believes that his short stature holds him back clearly hasn’t been watching him or United over the last four seasons. They also haven’t considered how the team have fared when Martinez hasn’t been available.

Due to four lengthy setbacks caused by two foot injuries and two knee injuries, Martinez has played just over half the total amount of United's Premier League games since he joined the club. The Red Devils' record in the 70 matches he has participated in reads: 35 wins, 15 draws and 20 defeats. By contrast, they have won just 28 of the 68 matches he has missed, drawn 14 and lost 26.

Some of their worst spells have come when he has been out of the team, too. Martinez’s metatarsal injury in 2023 came when they were 2-0 up against Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final first leg, but with him off the pitch with a problem that would eventually rule him out for the rest of the campaign, they drew 2-2 and were then destroyed 3-0 in the second leg. United won only five of their nine remaining games that season, including losing the FA Cup final to City. 

Early in the 2023-24 campaign, Martinez suffered a recurrence of the problem and had to have a second surgery on his foot. Again shorn of the ex-Ajax man's tenacious leadership, United won just 10 out of 22 games, losing 10 times while crashing out of both the Carabao Cup and Champions League.

Martinez's return was short-lived, too, as he suffered a knee injury against West Ham three weeks after coming back into the team, and then strained his calf, forcing him out for over three months in total, during which time United won only three of their 14 league games.

Martinez made it back just in time for the 2024 FA Cup final and was one of the key players in United’s shock revenge win over City. He then enjoyed a peaceful, nine-month spell without injuries, during which he helped Argentina win the Copa America. But in February 2025, he suffered his worst injury yet, tearing his cruciate ligament against Crystal Palace. 

Martinez did not return until November, and without him United posted their worst league finish in 51 years while also losing the Europa League final to Tottenham. It was the second major final United had lost without Martinez, having won the other two that he did play in. As well as a dark period for United, it was a harrowing time for Martinez.

"After the first two or three weeks I didn't want to play football anymore," he told AFA Studio. "It was day by day, a constant struggle, and my match was every day at the gym. I clung to the people around me, my family, my friends. Today, on the pitch, I feel excellent, and I say that thanks to those days, well, of suffering, of not giving up - today we have the results."

United are reaping the rewards of Martinez battling back to full fitness and form, though he continued to have an influence on the team even when he was injured. He opted to join the squad on their pre-season tour of the United States, continuing his rehabilitation at their base in Chicago. Amorim, to his credit, would do recovery runs with Martinez to show solidarity with the player.

The former manager also named Martinez as part of the club's leadership group despite knowing he would miss the first few months of the camoaign, and while the pair reportedly had a coming together at Carrington because Amorim was not starting Martinez soon after he returned, the coach seemed to see his hunger to play as a positive and soon brought him back into his line-up.

Carrick is in some ways fortunate that Martinez was already fit and firing by the team he succeeded Amorim, but he still deserves some credit for the way he has been able to push Martinez’s buttons in a bid to get him back to his best.

After the derby win, Martinez praised Carrick for urging the players to "use the energy of the people" to beat City. And in an interview with Stansport last week, he gave further insight into his connection with the coach.

"I’m really impressed with him, his body language, his energy, communication. He’s very close to the players, the way he trusts the players, the way he talks,  the way he connects with everyone," Martinez said. "If you play for Manchester United, it’s because you have something. You need people who understand your quality, you need people who take your best and I think [Carrick] is doing that. He’s getting the best out of everybody, not just the players, but the staff.

"And for me, when you touch my heart, I will give everything for you, and he touched it already and you can see that on the pitch we give everything."

For Carrick, the Argentine embodies exactly what he is trying to build: "You’ve got to play with feeling. You’ve got to play with emotion, you’ve got to play with excitement. And Licha’s epitomised that in terms of how he’s gone about every day, and certainly in the games."

There is certainly excitement about United once more, perhaps a little of the 'magic' Carrick referred to in his first press conference. And Martinez’s blend of fierce competitive spirit and outstanding technical ability is a massive reason why.