Chelsea legend, Joe Cole believes Lisandro Martinez has reached the end of his Manchester United career following his costly dismissal during the Red Devils’ 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United’s disappointing run continued with another defeat, leaving them without a victory in nine matches. The result also leaves them at risk of dropping into the Premier League relegation zone before the weekend concludes.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring five minutes into the second half after embarking on an impressive run through United’s midfield. The England international brushed aside challenges before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Martinez, a 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina, struggled to contain Rogers during the move and was subsequently booked for pulling back the Aston Villa midfielder after failing to deal with his pace and movement.
The Argentine defender’s afternoon went from bad to worse less than four minutes later when he raised his forearm while attempting to mark Wesley Fofana during a Chelsea set-piece situation.
Following a VAR review, the referee awarded Chelsea a penalty and showed Martinez a second yellow card, resulting in his dismissal.
The incident added to the growing concerns surrounding the defender, who had previously criticised Manchester United’s internal situation following their Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month. He had also directed criticism towards the club’s director of football, Jason Wilcox.
However, United’s performances have continued to deteriorate, with Cole expressing serious doubts about Martinez’s future after his display at Stamford Bridge.
Martinez’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, although Manchester United have the option of extending his deal by another 12 months.
Despite acknowledging the defender’s achievements with Argentina, Cole believes his time at Old Trafford should come to an end.
Speaking during TNT Sports’ coverage of the match, Cole said, “Whatever the next Manchester United looks like, I think Lisandro Martinez has run his course.
“We know he’s been fabulous in an Argentina shirt and achieved some wonderful things.
“But he’s at the scene of the crime too often for Manchester United and is at fault for moments and goals like that. So I think that’s probably his time done.”
Cole also criticised Martinez’s behaviour after the final whistle, describing his dismissal as an avoidable mistake that further damaged United’s performance.
“This is unfathomable. He loses his rag. I think he has been muscled in the corner and he has found himself out of position and lost his rag. It’s a massive mistake,” the former Chelsea midfielder said.
Cole’s comments have further raised questions about Martinez’s future at Manchester United as the club continues to struggle for consistency.