Manchester United have been dealt a significant fresh injury setback, following an update from BBC journalist Simon Stone regarding one influential Red Devils player.

Which Man United players are injured?

Erik ten Hag's side have made a hit-and-miss start to their Premier League campaign, with a combination of good and bad results thrown in. The hope was that United could potentially mount a title challenge, but given the relentlessness of Manchester City, that already looks like a tall order.

The club did some much-needed transfer business during the summer window, bringing in the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund, bolstering the spine of the squad in the process. While that undoubtedly gave the manager more options, he has been dealt an unfortunate hand when it comes to unavailable players currently.

United are having to make do without numerous players at the moment, particularly in defence with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw both out, while World Cup winner Raphael Varane has only just returned from an issue himself.

Now, a fresh issue has emerged for the Reds – one that could act as a massive negative in the coming months.

Which Man United player has picked up an injury?

Taking to X, Stone, reacting live from Ten Hag's pre-Palace press conference, confirmed that United are likely to be without influential centre-back Lisandro Martinez for a number of months, acting as a major blow:

"Lisandro Martinez out for an 'extended period' with a foot injury. Probably looking at around two/three months. Blow for Man United."

There is no question that this is a significant setback for United, with Martinez proving to be such an influential performer since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax last year, slotting in seamlessly at the heart of the defence.

The 25-year-old has arguably become the first defender on Ten Hag's team sheet, especially with Varane consistently in and out of the side because of injury problems, and he has already started five Premier League matches this season, enjoying a 93.2% pass completion rate.

Shaw has spoken of his admiration for Martinez as a player, with the Englishman saying of him: "With the ball he’s so composed. There was obviously a lot of question over his height at the start, which, for me, was nonsense, really. He’s an amazing player and still really young. He’s only going to get better and better."

With Martinez out for such a lengthy period of time, it means that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could be drafted in, with the former under so much scrutiny at the moment, and United's defence does suddenly look a lot weaker without the Argentine around.

While a title challenge was hoped for during the summer, the main focus now must be on ensuring that the Red Devils remain very much in the top four battle, overcoming their injury problems and staying in touch with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham, all of whom have set a speedy early pace this season.

In Martinez, United are missing are genuinely important figure, both in terms of his quality and character, and supporters will be desperate to see him back in the team as soon as possible.