Manchester United faces another nightmare in the Premier League.

Manchester United confronts a personnel crisis with Lisandro Martinez being suspended, and Harry Maguire potentially facing further bans before the important fixtures.

Manchester United is at risk of severe squad depletion as defender Lisandro Martinez received a red card in the 1-2 defeat against Leeds United, leading to a long-term suspension that could cause the team to lose another key player.

Specifically, the Argentine defender was sent off in the 56th minute after VAR identified a contentious incident with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Slow-motion replays showed Martinez pulling the opponent's hair during the challenge. After the Leeds striker reacted, referee Paul Tierney reviewed the screen directly and issued a red card for violent conduct, in accordance with the rules.

With this penalty, Martinez is almost certain to be suspended for three matches, thus missing crucial clashes against Chelsea, Brentford, and Liverpool.

However, the difficulties for the "Red Devils" do not end there. Before the Leeds match, in the encounter with Bournemouth 24 days ago, Michael Carrick's team drew 2-2 and saw Harry Maguire receive a red card after fouling Evanilson, leading to a penalty for the opponent.

Initially, Maguire faced only a one-match suspension for denying a clear scoring opportunity. However, the English Football Association (FA) later charged the defender for improper conduct, specifically using insulting language towards the fourth official. If given an additional punishment, Maguire could be banned again and miss the trip to Stamford Bridge.

In an official statement, the FA stated: “Harry Maguire has been charged after receiving a red card in the 78th minute of the match between Man Utd and Bournemouth on March 20. The player is accused of improper conduct and/or using abusive language towards the fourth official after being sent off. Maguire has until April 2 to respond.”

If both Martinez and Maguire are absent, Coach Carrick will face a tough defensive puzzle, especially since Matthijs de Ligt is still recovering from a back injury. In that case, the young defensive duo of Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven might be given starting opportunities in the next match.

Notably, Carrick expressed dissatisfaction with Martinez's dismissal, calling it "shocking" and "one of the worst decisions" he has ever witnessed.

Although still ranked third in the standings, Manchester United missed the chance to widen the gap with the chasing pack in the race for a Champions League spot, while also confronting major squad challenges during the critical phase of the season.