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Manchester United are targeting the FA Cup fourth-round tie in the final week of January as the return date for Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount.
All three players have been ruled out with long-term injuries over the Christmas period with Erik ten Hag describing their prospective returns as like “new signings” for his team.
Mount – signed in the summer from Chelsea – sustained a calf injury and has been ruled out since November 11th. He returned to indoor training last month but has yet to partake in full first-team training with his teammates.
Similarly, Casemiro has been unavailable since the beginning of November, courtesy of a serious hamstring injury. He resumed full training last week, alongside Martinez, but Ten Hag revealed their participation was only “partial.”
Martinez has been recovering from injury for the longest of the three and is potentially the most crucial to Ten Hag’s system.
The Argentine has been sidelined for four months after reinjuring the same metatarsal which ruled out of the run-in last season. He required another surgery and United are believed to have been particularly cautious over his return. Ten Hag has desperately missed El Carnicero’s aggression and ball-playing skills at the heart of his defence.
United are set to learn their prospective opponents in the next round of the FA Cup on January 16th as Eastleigh FC welcome Newport County AFC to the Silverlake Stadium for their third-round replay. This date may be subject to change, however.
The two sides drew their first encounter 1-1, courtesy of a late penalty equaliser for National League Eastleigh. As a result, they both entered the draw for the fourth round, securing the dream tie of hosting the Red Devils, whoever emerges victorious in their replay.
Samuel Luckhurst reveals United are “optimistic” the trio will return for the FA Cup tie, though this timeline will constitute a blow to Ten Hag as the Dutchman prepares his side for this weekend’s crucial match against Tottenham Hotspur.
United welcome the London club to Old Trafford, having lost the reverse fixture 2-0 at the start of the season. It will be a particularly significant fixture for Champions League qualification with both sides vying for fourth place.
Martinez is a pivotal piece in Ten Hag’s defence while Casemiro and Mount began the season as undisputed starters in his first-choice midfield unit. It would have been a huge boost to have each of them fit to face Spurs rather than Eastleigh or Newport County, though there remains some hope for Martinez.
Chris Wheeler (Daily Mail) contends the Argentine defender may be set for a “surprise comeback” with Martinez reported to be “chomping at the bit” to recover in time to face Spurs. This may be a case where the club chooses to exercise a level of caution which frustrates their player, however.
Ten Hag manager did reveal that Luke Shaw, Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire would all be in contention for Sunday’s game. All three have also been ruled out recently through injury – a pernicious problem which has plagued the United squad this season.