Lisandro Martinez made his unofficial Manchester United debut in pre-season against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday and will be available when the Premier League kicks off this weekend.
The centre-back was praised for his performance by Erik ten Hag, and commenting on social media, Martinez said the experience of playing at Old Trafford was ‘amazing’.
Martinez’s Instagram post was deluged with replies from Manchester United teammates, and an upcoming opponent.
Brighton defender Joel Veltman reached out to him ahead of Sunday’s season opener. The pair were teammates at Ajax before the Dutch defender moved to the Premier League in 2020.
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Bruno Fernandes and Brighton star respond to Lisandro Martinez
Martinez had posted a message saying: “First time in the amazing Theatre of Dreams. 🤩 Working hard to be ready. Thank you for the warm welcome!”
Fernandes responded to remind his new teammate this was just the first of many appearances ahead. He has made 87 Premier League appearances for United since joining in early 2020.
Brighton come to Old Trafford this weekend as underdogs despite their 4-0 victory over Manchester United at the end of last season.
Seagulls defender Adam Webster told their club website that he anticipates a much tougher test against an Erik ten Hag managed side.
He said: “They have a new manager with a different philosophy and you can already see how differently they are playing from the pre-season clips we’ve seen, and how difficult it is going to be for us.”
United’s players will want to wash the pain and humiliation of that defeat away, and the introduction of fresh faces like Martinez, if selected, could make a vital difference.
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