Martinez clashes with team-mate as Carrick's United slump to 2-0 defeat against Atletico

Lisandro Martinez’s scathing post-match criticism of Manchester United’s board has triggered an internal dispute at the club, with a team-mate reportedly confronting the Argentine defender on the flight back from Madrid following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Martinez used his post-match interview to single out director of football Jason Wilcox over the club’s summer transfer activity, implying the current squad is not equipped for Champions League football. While he threw his support behind manager Michael Carrick, his candour did not go down well in the dressing room.

The tension is unlikely to ease given the bluntness of Martinez’s words. “It is annoying, disappointing coming here and I am not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result,” he said — a line that reportedly struck a nerve with a number of his colleagues.

On the pitch, United were outclassed from the first minute. Pablo Barrios put Atletico ahead inside the opening 60 seconds, and although United held on until the final quarter, Leny Yoro’s red card in the 74th minute effectively ended the contest. Ademola Lookman added a second five minutes later to seal a comfortable win for the Spanish side.

Carrick has now managed just two victories in his first full season in charge — a 5-2 Premier League win over Ipswich Town and a 4-0 Champions League group-stage victory against Sabah FK. The defeat to Atletico represents United’s most damaging result of the campaign to date.

In a separate development stemming from United’s recent fixtures, Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined following his post-match comments after the two sides drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage on September 20. Fulham had led through a Martinez own goal in the 63rd minute before Matheus Cunha’s heavily deflected strike deep into stoppage time earned United a point. Arbeloa’s subsequent criticism of the officiating drew a disciplinary response.