Manchester United have announced that Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez have returned to full first-team training.
The Red Devils’ disappointing 2023/24 season so far has been underpinned by a string of injuries to star players, with the South American duo among their most notable long-term absentees.
Casemiro has been sidelined since the start of November having limped off in United’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle, while Martinez had to undergo surgery on a recurring foot problem in September after losing away at Bayern Munich.
But United have now confirmed Casemiro and Martinez are now nearing returns to action in what will be a huge boost to Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch boss has come in for criticism so far this season with United having lost 14 of their 28 games across all competitions. Ten Hag has regularly pointed to various injuries and absences for such results.
When asked after United’s recent 2-1 loss at Nottingham Forest for a reason behind their poor form, Ten Hag replied: “The injuries. Also some issues but mainly the injuries hold us back in the process. In January we have a lot of players returning so then our levels can be higher.”
Ten Hag has also compared the returns of the likes of Casemiro and Martinez, as well as Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia in the near future, to new signings.
“When the players return and now the luck is a little bit on our side in the matter of injuries then we have five or six new signings in January,” he said prior to losing at Forest on December 30.
United are next in action on January 8 when they travel to Wigan Athletic in round three of the FA Cup. They then return to Premier League action with the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on January 14.
