"He did it before" – Erik ten Hag claims he may have to use Manchester United star in different position to cope with injury crisis

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has asserted that he might have to use Lisandro Martinez as a central midfielder to cope with their ongoing injury crisis.

Martinez, 25, has established himself as a vital first-team starter for the Red Devils since arriving from Ajax in a deal worth up to £56 million last summer. He has been an important player in Erik ten Hag's rejuvenated 4-2-3-1 system due to his ball-playing ability and positional awareness.

Primarily a left-footed center-back, the 15-cap Argentina international has recently emerged as an emergency option in defensive midfield for the Red Devils. While Christian Eriksen picked up an ankle issue last week, both Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay are also currently ruled out of action with their respective injuries.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Ten Hag acknowledged that Martinez is capable of deputizing in midfield. He told reporters:

"He did it before, so that is one thing. Me as a manager, you have to be creative in such situations where in other departments where we have players who can be starting 11 players, but because I can only play one player in that position we can maybe move players into different departments and be creative to form a team."

Martinez, who has a contract until June 2027 at Old Trafford, has also featured in defensive midfield for Ten Hag during their time at Ajax.

The Newell's Old Boys academy graduate has racked up 2033 minutes for Manchester United this season, spread across 28 games. He is next scheduled to be in action against Nottingham Forest in their EFL Cup semifinal second leg on Wednesday (February 1).

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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag sheds light on Christian Eriksen's potential return

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag claimed that Christian Eriksen might be out of action for a maximum of four months due to his recent ankle injury.

He said:

"[He] is expected to be out of action for an extended period. There is hope that he can return in time to play a role in the final stages of the season. While investigations are continuing, initial assessments indicate that he is likely to be out until late April or early May."

Manchester United, meanwhile, have snapped up Marcel Sabitzer on a short-term loan deal from Bayern Munich on deadline day.