Erik ten Hag points out two pleasing factors from Lisandro Martinez's Manchester United return
Erik ten Hag believes Lisandro Martinez is still lacking match rhythm after making his return from injury for Manchester United.
The 25-year-old returned to action in the pre-season friendly victory over Leeds United in Norway. Goals from Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill after the break ensured a win for Erik ten Hag's men in the first match of a hectic pre-season schedule.
Martinez played 45 minutes as the Argentina defender returned from a broken metatarsal picked up against Sevilla in the Europa League. Since then, the World Cup winner has been working hard to get back to full fitness.
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Martinez started the encounter in Oslo in the heart of the back four alongside French defender Raphael Varane. before a different XI took to the field after the break.
And Ten Hag believes the Argentina international is still building up his sharpness but was pleased with how his partnership with Varane had continued from where it left off last term.
Speaking to MUTV, Ten Hag said: "Licha was, in the last part of the season, injured, and you still can see he's now on his way back. So he worked very hard during the summer and now he's returned for the first time back in the game.
"But you see he's a little bit lacking in rhythm but you also see Rapha and Licha fitting very well together, they're very solid."