Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez has undergone successful surgery on his season-ending foot injury as he begins the long road to recovery.
During last Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg with Sevilla at Old Trafford, Martinez was on the ball before suddenly dropping to the turf in pain.
The manner of Martinez's fall with nobody around him immediately sparked concern, and he was carried off the field by compatriots Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna before being stretchered away.
The 25-year-old was feared to have ruptured his Achilles, which did not prove to be the case, but Man United subsequently confirmed that he would miss the remainder of the season with a fractured metatarsal.
Martinez is eyeing a return to full fitness for pre-season ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, and the former Ajax man took to social media on Monday night to confirm that his operation was a success.
Posting a picture of him smiling in a hospital bed, Martinez wrote: "Everything went really well, thanks to God! Many thanks for all of your messages. Now focusing on the recovery."
In the wake of his diagnosis, Martinez also vowed to come back stronger after a cruel end to his "very special" season, saying on Instagram: "Not the way I imagined what's been a very special season would end, but sometimes we face obstacles along the way that we have to overcome to make us stronger and we learn from them.
"I know that I'll be back very soon to go for more. In the meantime, I'll continue to support all my team-mates to achieve our objectives. The number of messages and support I've received has been amazing, they're giving me strength and encouragement at this moment."
The centre-back ends a positive debut campaign in England with one goal from 45 appearances in all tournaments under Erik ten Hag, playing a key role in Man United's EFL Cup triumph.
Despite initial concerns over his height, Martinez soon adapted to life in the Premier League, and his partnership with Raphael Varane blossomed before the Frenchman was also taken off injured at half time against Sevilla.
Varane's concern is not as serious as Martinez's, but the French World Cup winner will still be missing for a few weeks, forcing Ten Hag to work with limited options in the heart of defence.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are now holding the fort, but Luke Shaw - who is also dealing with a hamstring problem - has filled in at centre-back throughout the season.
However, with Maguire suspended for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Brighton & Hove Albion, Lindelof could be Man United's only fit centre-back at Wembley if Shaw is unable to shake off his hamstring problem.
The Red Devils' defensive crisis led to speculation that Phil Jones could be brought back in from the cold, but the Englishman is supposedly not under consideration for a first-team return.
Jones - who made just five appearances last season - has not been able to complete a full training session this season due to a relapse of his serious knee injury, and he was not named in Ten Hag's Premier League or Europa League squads for the current campaign. body check tags ::
