The Defensa y Justicia team, currently competing in the third match of the Apertura Tournament of the Professional League against Central Córdoba from Santiago del Estero, showed a gesture of solidarity by posing with a banner in the starting eleven photo with a message of support for Lisandro Martínez, who suffered an injury in his last match with Manchester United.
The banner held by the players had the phrase "Strength Licha," referring to the Argentine defender who was injured during the match against Crystal Palace on matchday 24 of the Premier League, where he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. Martínez will miss the remainder of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Defensa y Justicia player Martínez will undergo surgery and will be sidelined for eight months, meaning he will miss the rest of the season with Manchester United and will be unavailable for the next three double matchdays of the South American Qualifiers scheduled for March, June, and September against various opponents.
Lisandro Martínez had a stint with the "Halcón" of Varela in 2017 when he arrived on loan from Newell's Old Boys and was eventually purchased in 2018 by Defensa y Justicia, who acquired half of his rights. During his time with the team, Martínez played a total of 58 matches, scoring three goals and becoming a key pillar of the team. His performance caught the attention of European teams, with Ajax from the Netherlands bringing him to the old continent, where Martínez won four titles before completing his transfer to Manchester United.
