United haven't had too many injury problems this season — probably because we've been so shite that we're barely playing any games — yet this doesn't mean we were completely exempt of injuries especially from the usual suspects, but you're always going to pick up a couple every campaign.
But when the important players are missing, you feel it.
Right now, three absences stand out: Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs De Ligt and Patrick Dorgu.
All three bring something completely different to this team.
And with them out for a while now, the impact has started to show.
Yes, we've had other injuries too.
Harry Maguire, Mason Mount (surprise, surprise 🙄), Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and even captain Bruno Fernandes have all spent time on the sidelines.
But these three feel different.
When Martinez, De ligt or Dorgu aren't there, something in the team just feels… off.
So the question is simple:
Who has United missed the most?
Lisandro Martinez
The Butcher is a player who’s hard not to love. His nickname alone is awesome, but more importantly, he brings an energy that fans immediately connect with.
Martinez has a leadership aura about him, something this United side desperately lacks at times. He’s experienced, more of a winner than most in the squad and despite his size, carries himself like he’s 10 feet tall.
But beyond the personality, Martinez offers a huge amount on the pitch.
United try to play out from the back fairly often, and to do that you need defenders who are comfortable on the ball.
Martinez is exactly that.
In fact, some would argue he’s one of the best centre-backs in the league when it comes to possession 👀.
His composure against a high press is vital in the modern game. Being calm on the ball when teams swarm you is one thing — but spotting a pass and actually executing it is another. You’d think that that would be standard for professional footballers, yet somehow it isn’t 😐.
What Martinez does brilliantly is break lines.
Whether it’s a sharp pass into midfield or a ball clipped over the top to the forwards, he can remove two or three opposition players from the game with a single pass.
Bruno Fernandes is probably the only other player in this team capable of doing that consistently.
Defensively, the 28-year-old’s anticipation and reading of the game are just as important. He often positions himself to deal with danger before it fully develops — something very few others in this squad manage.
Yes, his lack of height is a weakness.
But Martinez more than compensates for that with aggression.
He loves getting tight to forwards, giving them a shove and reminding them he’s there to a point where they're not going to have their own way with him. They ain't gonna be picking him up and running away with him, IYKWIM 😉.
As a natural left-footer, he also provides valuable balance in the back line.
And when United press higher, Martinez even has the ability to step into midfield while maintaining that same composure in possession.
A player with that mix of leadership, aggression and technical quality gives confidence to not only the entire defence, but the team as a whole.
I certainly feel a lot better knowing he's in that defence.
Even though it’s only been three games, the butcher has been a MASSIVE miss.
Matthijs De Ligt
I find that with De Ligt, he's almost… forgotten about.
Not because he isn’t good enough, but because he’s been out for so long that United have slowly learned to cope without him.
When he first picked up that back problem in November, nobody expected him to be out this long.
But three months later, and here we are. That btw, is a huge amount of time in football and basically accounts for a third of the season.
And when a player is absent for that amount of time, teams eventually find ways to move on.
But in the first month after his injury, his absence was definitely felt.
Up until that point, De Ligt was arguably United’s player of the season.
Nothing flashy — just relentless consistency.
Seven out of ten performances almost every week. Solid defensively, dominant in the air and bringing a level of authority that this team badly needed.
Like Martinez, De Ligt has that aggressive edge to his game. He’s a no-nonsense defender who isn’t afraid of a battle.
But he also carries himself like a proper professional.
The attitude, the standards, the experience of playing for big clubs — those are qualities this squad could do with a lot more of.
Aerially he was also a huge presence.
Despite picking up that injury in November, he still had more aerial duels won than any United player until February, with 50.
That tells you how dominant he was.
However, the reality is that United haven’t collapsed defensively without him.
Martinez has stepped up. Harry Maguire has had solid moments. And younger players like Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven have filled in admirably.
So while De Ligt undoubtedly improves the team and would walk straight back into the starting XI, his absence hasn’t been quite as damaging as it could have been.
Which is probably why, compared to the others, he feels slightly less missed.
Patrick Dorgu
I’ll be honest — I had my reservations about Dorgu.
I’ve admitted that already. Mainly because I never really saw him as a left-winger.
But that’s exactly where United have been missing something.
It sounds strange to say this when Matheus Cunha plays there and clearly has more technical ability.
But the problem is that Cunha isn’t a natural winger.
He’s far better suited to the 3-4-2-1 system as one of the inside No.10s — the role he was actually bought to play.
So when Ruben Amorim surprisingly used Dorgu as a left-winger against Newcastle on Boxing Day, it caught a lot of people off guard. Not just because of the position — but because of how good he looked there.
Dorgu gave United something the attack had been lacking: proper width.
He hugged the touchline like a traditional winger, stretched the opposition and gave United a consistent outlet whenever they needed to switch play.
That was clear again in the draw at Burnley, when caretaker boss Darren Fletcher deployed him in the same role.
Suddenly there was an out-ball on the left. Suddenly the attack had pace. And suddenly Benjamin Sesko was receiving the type of crosses that strikers thrive on.
Just look at the delivery for Sesko’s second goal — that’s exactly the kind of service he needs.
For years we’ve complained that United don’t cross the ball enough.
Dorgu actually does.
He’s also quicker than I expected.
For a team that often relies on counter-attacks, having a player with genuine pace out wide becomes a serious weapon.
Then there’s the finishing.
His strike against Newcastle was already a contender for goal of the season, and the way he ghosted in behind the defender to score in the derby showed excellent attacking instincts.
And of course… the rocket at The Emirates against Arsenal.
Honestly, that might be the goal of the season so far.
Unfortunately, that was also the last time we saw him before the hamstring injury that will keep him out until after the international break.
Maybe he pulled it from the sheer power of that strike.
But Dorgu’s absence affects more than just the wing.
Interestingly, he’s actually a left-back by trade. And with Luke Shaw struggling badly, that opens another possibility.
Dorgu has the pace, stamina and aggression to get up and down the flank, something Shaw simply doesn’t offer anymore.
Defensively he still needs work, particularly with his heading and positional awareness, but the potential is clear.
And tactically, his presence could unlock something important.
When United attack, Dorgu’s overlapping runs could allow Cunha to drift inside into that natural No.10 space.
That combination — width from Dorgu and creativity from Cunha — could give United far more variety going forward.
This shows that there are many reasons why Patrick Dorgu has been heavily missed.
More than anything, he gives this team something it rarely has: balance and natural width.
Biggest Miss?
Patrick Dorgu.
Yep, for me, he’s been the most notable absentee.
As mentioned with Martinez and De Ligt, the defence has actually held up fairly well without them. They absolutely make us better but it's not as if United have suddenly started getting carved apart in their absence.
With Dorgu though, the difference is much clearer.
Without him, the left side of the attack feels far less threatening. There’s less width, less pace and far fewer crosses into the box.
Dorgu provides all three.
But perhaps more importantly, he could also be the key to unlocking Cunha.
It also says a lot that Michael Carrick was even benching Cunha at times just to get Dorgu into the team.
That tells you how important he became.
So while United have certainly missed Martinez and De Ligt at the back…
Patrick Dorgu might just be the one absence that has affected the team the most.
But what do you think?
Who has United missed the most — Martinez, De Ligt or Dorgu?