Manchester United have had numerous players involved in senior and youth international matches over the extended break.
Season to date
Lisandro Martinez was, as usual, involved for World Cup finalists Argentina.
The centre-back has so far had a tough season after having his pre-season affected by his late involvement in the World Cup and also picking up an injury in the final.
The Argentine has been uncharacteristically poor on the ball and part of a shaky backline that looks a far cry from the team that played in the last half of last season.
International duty
Argentina steamrolled Bolivia 4-0 in an international friendly.
Lisandro Martinez started at centre-back alongside Cristian Romero.
The Argentine played 81 minutes of the encounter and helped his side log a clean sheet.
He made 100% of his tackles and also completed one clearance from the Bolivian attack.
Martinez was also strong in the air, winning 100% of his aerial duels as he dominated the visiting forwards.
The defender also won two of his three ground duels, as very little got past him in Córdoba.
Martinez was also strong in possession, completing an impressive 90% of his passes. He was a bit more inconsistent from range though, completing just 40% of his long ball attempts in the match.
The defender has already scored a goal for United this season against Sabah in the Champions League and had an effort on goal against the Bolivians, but it was not on target.
He should be in action again shortly for his national team as they face Burkina Faso in a friendly on Saturday night.
Lisandro Martinez stats vs Bolivia
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Def. contributions | 3 |
| Tackles (won) | 2 (2) |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Blocked shots | 0 |
| Recoveries | 2 |
| Ground duels (won) | 3 (2) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 3 (3) |
| Fouls | 1 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Errors leading to shot | 1 |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 0 (0) |
| Accurate passes | 72/80 (90%) |
| Passes in opposition half (acc.) | 27/34 (79%) |
| Passes in own half (acc.) | 45/46 (98%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 2/5 (40%) |
| Touches | 86 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 0 (0) |
| Possession lost | 8 |
| Total carrying distance | 218.8 m |
| Carries | 32 |
| Total progression | 52.5 m |
| Total shots | 1 |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Shots blocked | 0 |
Featured image by Julian Finney via Getty Images
