Manchester United are missing Lisandro Martinez for more than just his defending

When assessing why the fizz appears to have gone out of Manchester United's season in recent weeks, the absence of Lisandro Martinez hasn't been high on the list of problems.

If anything, United appear to have coped admirably without Martinez and his central defensive partner Raphael Varane, both injured in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Old Trafford. Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw have formed a reliable back-up duo and they have performed well in recent games, even when the results haven't gone their way.

But some of United's issues at the moment are connected. The desperate search for something in attack has seen the front three lose fluency and Bruno Fernandes bumped all across the pitch. The decision to move Shaw inside has affected the quality of play down the left flank.

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Then there is Martinez, who was in the frame for United's player of the season before breaking his metatarsal in that Europa League quarter-final first leg, a night when so much went wrong. On the face of it, Shaw has stepped in brilliantly. He's retained the left-footed option that Erik ten Hag wants and looks as good a central defender as he does a left-back.

But Martinez offered so much more than balance and defensive quality. His aggression and character are hard to replace, but even harder to replicate is his ability on the ball and the level of his passing.

Along with Casemiro, Martinez has transformed the way United progress the ball this season. They have added speed to the passing and consistently break defensive lines with fast and accurate passes forward, transforming pedestrian build-up play into dangerous opportunities for their forwards. When they've been absent, it's