Manchester United were hit with awful news about a key player last week when they found out Lisandro Martinez is set to be out of action for the rest of the season.
Losing the Argentine is a huge blow for Ruben Amorim, given his importance in possession, particularly in United’s build-up play.
The Argentine plays an average of 6.01 progressive passes and 1.18 progressive carries per game this season, ranking him in the top 7% and top 14% of defenders respectively, as per FBref. He is essential to Amorim’s side in how they progress play from deeper areas.
With the transfer window now shut, the Red Devils will have to search for an in-house solution to replace Martinez. One of the candidates is Luke Shaw.
Why Shaw could replace Martinez
Once described as “the best left back in the country” by United legend turned Sky Sports Pundit Gary Neville, there is no doubting Shaw’s ability. However, he has struggled for any kind of availability this season, with injuries affecting him once more.
Sadly, the England international, who went to Euro 2024 over the summer, has managed just three appearances during the 2024/25 campaign.
He is yet to play in 2025, with his last game on the 1st of December, a fantastic 4-0 win for the Red Devils.
In terms of his suitability at left centre-back, this is actually something Shaw has done plenty of times during his United career so far, mainly under Erik ten Hag. He has played 24 times at centre-back, and would also be suited to the left of a back three, given he sometimes tucks into centre-back when playing as a left-back.
The biggest concern with Shaw replacing Martinez is his injury record. He has really struggled to stay fit this season. It has been a problem throughout his career, but the 2024/25 campaign has been particularly bad. Even now, Chris Wheeler reports he has suffered another short injury setback, to prolong his frustration at being sidelined.
Instead, to preserve Shaw’s longevity in a United shirt, that could lead Amorim to start one of his new signings to replace Martinez.
The player who could replace Martinez
The player in question here is new Red Devils centre-back Ayden Heaven. The Arsenal academy graduate made the move from the Gunners to Old Trafford at the end of the January transfer window, for a reported fee of around £1.5m.
The 18-year-old only ever played once for the first team under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates Stadium. His professional debut and his only competitive senior appearance to date came against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
He has been on the bench a few times for the Gunners, however, including for their 2-0 win over United in the Premier League earlier in the season. Given how hard it is to break into an Arsenal defence that includes the likes of Gabriel and William Saliba, it is understandable that more regular minutes were not on the table.
The key thing that the London-born starlet could bring to the United side is progression from the back, which is exactly what they will lose in Martinez’s absence. His in-possession ability was described as “fantastic” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, who has also noted his “highly unique” profile.
The 18-year-old is actually a midfielder by trade. This means that the ability he has to progress play forward and carry the ball out of defence, something Martinez has done so well this season, will have been learned from a more advanced role.
Indeed, that was on show during one of Arsenal’s pre-season games against a Premier League opponent. Bournemouth were on the receiving end of that impressive Heaven performance. That day, as per Sofascore, he completed 88% of his passes and four out of eight long balls.
|
Heaven stats vs. Bournemouth in preseason |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Number |
|
Touches |
59 |
|
Pass accuracy |
88% |
|
Passes completed |
46/52 |
|
Long balls completed |
4/8 |
|
Ground duels won |
2/3 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1/1 |
|
Clearances |
3 |
|
Stats from Sofascore |
|
Heaven could be the exact solution United are looking for as their Martinez replacement. The club has a rich history of giving young players a platform to grow and show their skills, and he is a Hale End graduate rather than a Carrington product, the same certainly applies.
This could be a huge chance for Heaven to showcase his skills and prove he can be a regular starter in Martinez’s absence.
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