Manchester United have got two major things wrong with their injury crises

When an injured Lisandro Martinez still linked up with the Argentina squad in September, the word from Manchester United was it would be beneficial for him to be surrounded by his compatriots.

A penny for Sir Alex Ferguson’s thoughts. Paul Scholes was omitted from an England squad on the Friday due to an upcoming hernia operation and played for United on the Monday against Middlesbrough. If Ferguson was the manager, Argentina nor Martinez would have dared ask the question.

Martinez returned from South America, played twice and United lost both games against Brighton and Bayern Munich, conceding seven goals. Martinez underwent corrective surgery on a metatarsal fracture and did not play again until January.

Times have changed and United have changed. Not for the better. Clubs should be selfish over a player’s availability yet Martinez, sidelined for six weeks, flew to Los Angeles a fortnight ago to train with his international teammates.

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Granted, his second-half introduction at Brentford was enforced. Raphael Varane was substituted as a precaution at the interval and Victor Lindelof sustained a hamstring injury in the second half.

Yet this is the problem at United. There have been 53 separate cases of injury or illness that have caused a player to miss a game this season. Martinez returned before the eight-week timescale he was ruled out for with medial collateral ligament damage. Now he is out for another month.

Since he first fractured his metatarsal against Sevilla last April, Martinez has started eight club games. The lucklessness of two impact injuries preceded a calf injury on Tuesday.