United Need Defensive Duo to Be Fit Ahead of Leeds

Manchester United’s push for a sixth consecutive home victory on 13 April against Leeds United is suddenly contingent on the fitness of two defenders whose seasons have been defined more by treatment tables than tackles. Lisandro Martínez and Patrick Dorgu have both been sidelined since early February, and with Daniel Farke’s Leeds arriving at Old Trafford in the thick of the promotion-chasing pack, Erik ten Hag’s medical staff are working overtime to get the pair back into contention.

Martínez, signed amid fanfare in 2022, quickly became the emotional compass of United’s back line under the Dutch coach. The Argentine’s combative style – “The Butcher” nickname stems from a trail of decisive challenges – married to a calm distribution that belies his 5ft 9in frame, underpinned the club’s EFL Cup triumph that first season. Yet the 27-year-old’s career in red has been pock-marked by cruel setbacks: a fractured fifth metatarsal in spring 2023, a recurrence that cost him four months, an MCL tear after a clash with West Ham’s Vladimír Coufal, and, most devastatingly, an ACL rupture last February that wiped out ten months of action. His latest blow, a calf strain suffered at the London Stadium on 10 February, has kept him out of the chaotic 2-2 draw at Bournemouth in which Harry Maguire’s red card left Ten Hag staring at an increasingly threadbare central-defensive roster. With World Cup places on the line this summer, Martínez is acutely aware that minutes against Leeds could decide both United’s top-three fate and his own international future.

Dorgu’s story is shorter but equally frustrating. The 20-year-old Dane’s full debut on 26 February 2025 lasted only 43 minutes before a red card against Ipswich Town, yet by the festive period he had morphed from left-back into an auxiliary left-winger, tormenting opposition full-backs with raw pace and direct running. An assist for Benjamin Šeśko in the 3-1 win at Burnley and goals in consecutive Manchester derbies versus City and Arsenal announced him as one of Europe’s most exciting full-backs, alongside Real Madrid’s Vinícius Tobias. The dazzling half-volley that capped the 2-1 victory over Arsenal on 2 February came at a cost: a hamstring twinge that has since swelled into a two-month lay-off. United have missed his vertical thrust ever since; Luke Shaw’s own fitness battles mean the club has relied on natural centre-backs to fill the wide defensive slot, blunting the attacking width that Dorgu routinely provides.

United’s recent form illustrates the problem. After a hot-and-cold March that brought a point at Bournemouth, defeat at Newcastle, and wins over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, Ten Hag’s side remain third but are level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham, who boast a game in hand. Leeds, resurgent under Farke’s high-tempo blueprint, have taken thirteen points from their last six matches and will target the spaces behind United’s makeshift back line. Martínez’s ability to organise and step in with the ball, coupled with Dorgu’s recovery speed and final-third delivery, could prove the difference between a statement victory and a nerve-jangling stumble.

Rehabilitation drills at Carrington have intensified this week. Martínez has reportedly progressed to controlled ball-work, while Dorgu has been seen sprinting against resistance bands. Neither player has been ruled out, yet neither has been given the all-clear. With only two full training sessions remaining before the weekend, Ten Hag faces a race against time. If the defensive duo prove their resilience one more time, United’s Champions League destiny – and a cherished home winning streak – remains in their own hands.