Lisandro Martinez is set for surgery on the injury he picked up against Arsenal, facing an absence of two or three months.

The Argentine defender returned to action in pre-season, notably diving two-footed into challenges during the friendly against Arsenal.

But he then suffered a recurrence of the old metatarsal issue during the Premier League game against the Gunners.

Martinez took painkillers to play in the defeats to Brighton and Bayern Munich, but further tests last week revealed his fracture hadn’t healed correctly.

As a result, the player required another surgery, with Erik ten Hag confirming as much in his most recent press conference.

At a minimum, Martinez is now set to miss October and November with United and Argentina.

During that period, Manchester United will face Manchester City in the Manchester derby on October 29th, Newcastle United in the League Cup Round of 16 on November 1st, and four Champions League group stage matches.

If Martinez needs the full three months out, he’ll also miss league games against Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, as well as Bayern Munich’s visit to Old Trafford, among many other fixtures.

Argentina face Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Brazil in World Cup qualifiers over the same period.