Martinez apologises after Ayden Heaven's left-back debut sparked Champions League outburst

Lisandro Martinez has apologised to Manchester United’s staff and management after his outspoken criticism following the club’s Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, with reports emerging that the inexperienced deployment of Ayden Heaven at left-back was the trigger for his public outburst.

Atletico Madrid won the tie after Pablo Barrios struck inside the first minute and Ademola Lookman doubled the lead following Leny Yoro’s red card. The result extended United’s winless run to five games in all competitions and prompted an unusually candid post-match interview from the Argentina international.

According to The Sun, Martinez was left “bemused” by manager Michael Carrick’s decision to field Heaven, 20, at left-back — a position the youngster had never started in at senior level. Carrick’s options were severely limited, with Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui all absent through injury, leaving Heaven and fellow inexperienced option Harry Amass as the available choices. Shaw remains the only specialist left-back among the injured trio, and there is reported frustration within the squad that the position has not been adequately reinforced.

Martinez directed his criticism at technical director Jason Wilcox, noting that the club’s summer spending had been concentrated in midfield — with Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba all arriving at significant cost — while defensive depth has been left thin.

“I have to be honest, as players we have to do more but it is also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night,” Martinez said after the match. “Last season we did everything, we created the base to create an amazing team. It is annoying, disappointing coming here and I am not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here. It’s disappointing.”

The defender has since met with club leadership and Carrick to resolve the situation. In a statement posted on social media, Martinez acknowledged that his timing and choice of platform were wrong.

“Today I met with the club’s leadership and the manager. It was a very positive conversation, where we were able to exchange views and speak openly about what happened after Tuesday’s game,” he wrote. “Everyone knows that I am a passionate person and that I live football with great intensity. The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise. Our club is at its best when we are all united, and I recognise that my words in that moment did not help with that.”

Martinez’s focus now turns to Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Leeds United, as United look to arrest a run of form that has raised fresh questions about the squad’s depth heading into the second half of the season.