Manchester United injury update: Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez latest news and return dates

Yahoo

a day ago

Manchester United finished their pre-season unbeaten for the first time since 2019, but Ruben Amorim has been left sweating over the availability of four first-team stars before his side's Premier League opener against Arsenal.
With the Red Devils hosting the Gunners at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 17, the injury status of Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui is still up in the air.
Indeed, none of the foursome were involved or even named on the bench as United played their final friendly of the summer at home to Fiorentina last Saturday.
Will Amorim get some positive updates on their injuries this week? Here's a look at the latest Manchester United injury news…
Andre Onana
Amorim's current No1 goalkeeper has been absent for the entirety of pre-season with a hamstring injury that he picked up in the first week of pre-season training at Carrington.
His absence has meant Altay Bayindir has deputised during the summer, with veteran goalie Tom Heaton as back-up, though there have been a litany of rumours linking the Red Devils to a new shot-stopper throughout this transfer window, from a failed approach for Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez to a potentially ongoing pursuit of the likes of Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma.
No such moves have materialised yet though, and the Cameroon international was pictured back in training during the Premier League Summer Series despite not taking part in any matchday action in the United States.
Earlier this month, he also revealed he was targeting a return for the start of the Premier League season.
'I feel good, I feel great,' Onana said on August 3. 'It's been a few difficult weeks, but yeah, hopefully, I will be back for the start of the season.'
Taking him at his word unless we hear any different during the week, that sets Onana up to reclaim his position between the posts for the visit of Arsenal this weekend.
Potential return date:
Lisandro Martinez
Argentine centre-back Martinez is continuing his comeback from an ACL injury that has kept him side-lined since February and saw him undergo surgery earlier this year.
He travelled to the US with the rest of the squad on their pre-season tour but, like Onana, has not set foot on the pitch aside from some training sessions he was pictured at towards the latter stages of that trip.
An important defensive cog on the left of Amorim's ideal back three, United will hope Martinez's recovery continues to progress, but there's been no specific timeframe placed on his return yet.
Potential return date:
Joshua Zirkzee
The Dutch forward has not featured for United this pre-season either, due to an unspecified injury - believed to be muscular in nature - sustained prior to the tour.
Like the others, he also travelled to the US but is not thought to have participated in team training whilst abroad.
However, Zirkzee was pictured training with the rest of the Red Devils squad at Carrington earlier this week, after suggesting he was aiming to be ready for the Arsenal match.
'I've got a small injury, but it shouldn't take too long to recover now,' Zirkzee said on July 28. 'I've got great physios working with me every day. It's pre-season, so unlike last season, where I wanted to push myself to be back for the [Europa League] final, now I just want to be there for the start of the season.'
Potential return date:
Noussair Mazraoui
Moroccan defender Mazraoui was another absentee from the action across the pond, after being taken off at half-time of United's pre-season opener versus Leeds in Stockholm last month.
He is believed to have picked up a knock in that match, though the exact nature of his injury has not been specified by the club.
The 27-year-old hasn't been pictured in training as recently as the others, leaving his return date a little more vague. With positional rival Diogo Dalot available and Amad Diallo having played the majority of pre-season at right wing-back, Amorim may not feel the need to rush Mazraoui back before he's ready.
Potential return date: