Lisandro Martinez facing uncertain Manchester United future after Chelsea red card

Danny Murphy says Lisandro Martinez has left Manchester United manager Michael Carrick with a major decision to make after the Argentina defender was sent off in the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Martinez was dismissed in the 63rd minute after receiving two yellow cards, the second for a challenge on Wesley Fofana inside the penalty area. Cole Palmer converted the resulting spot-kick to score Chelsea’s second goal.

The defender had also been involved in the build-up to Chelsea’s opener, allowing Morgan Rogers to advance through the Manchester United defence before scoring early in the second half.

The defeat extended Manchester United’s winless run to nine matches in all competitions. They have taken only seven points and sit 17th, having won just once in the Premier League since the start of the season.

Martinez’s difficult afternoon came only weeks after he criticised Manchester United’s recruitment and suggested the club lacked the resources to compete with the leading sides in the Champions League.

He made those comments after a 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, when he questioned the club’s activity in the transfer market and called on the hierarchy, including sporting director Jason Wilcox, to bring in more players capable of competing at the highest level.

Martinez said he had expected greater backing after the previous season and argued that repeatedly changing managers would not solve the club’s problems. He added that responsibility should not rest solely with the players and coaching staff.

His comments prompted widespread debate inside and outside the club. Martinez later apologised for the timing and manner of his remarks, saying he had met club officials and Carrick to discuss the situation and exchange views.

Murphy, the former Liverpool and Tottenham player, believes Martinez’s recent actions have increasingly made him a liability for Manchester United and doubts whether he will immediately regain the manager’s confidence.

“It is heading that way,” Murphy said on Match of the Day, according to Metro. “A player with that experience and quality should know what he is doing. Clearly, something is not right with him at the moment, because you do not expect these poor performances from a player with his ability.”

Murphy linked the red card to Martinez’s earlier dispute with Dominic Solanke during a match against Tottenham, as well as his criticism of the club’s management and his display against Chelsea.

“I do not know whether he is thinking about leaving or is frustrated by everything happening around the club, but he has put Carrick in a very difficult position now,” he added.

“I think it is unlikely Michael will bring him back into the team if he is still the manager by then.”

Although Murphy criticised Martinez, he said Carrick could not escape responsibility for Manchester United’s poor start. He believes the problems extend beyond a lack of quality in certain positions to the team’s physical and mental condition.

“The biggest problem I see at Manchester United now is not just a lack of quality,” Murphy said. “Over the past two months, the team has looked physically far below the level we saw at the end of last season.”

He suggested that could be caused by inadequate physical preparation, a loss of concentration or players failing to respond to the manager’s messages. In his view, the explanation may differ from player to player and involve a combination of both factors.

Murphy also questioned whether Carrick can restore the team’s unity, fighting spirit and physical ability with the current squad as pressure continues to grow amid the poor results.