According to a report by Manchester Evening News on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Lisandro Martinez's dismissal against Chelsea has raised questions about his place in Manchester United's starting defence ahead of Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Roma.

The Argentine defender was sent off during United's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, leaving Michael Carrick with an important decision to make before the next European fixture.

Martinez received two bookings within four minutes, with his second offence coming after he caught Wesley Fofana with a raised arm inside the penalty area.

His earlier booking had followed a foul on Morgan Rogers, who subsequently opened the scoring for Chelsea with an impressive finish.

United struggled to maintain their first-half performance after the interval, while Martinez's disciplinary problems contributed to their difficult afternoon.

The defender also recorded five instances of losing possession and won only two of the nine duels he contested.

Manchester Evening News gave him a rating of 2/10 following his performance, reflecting the disappointment surrounding his contribution to the defeat.

The dismissal will automatically rule Martinez out of United's Premier League encounter with Aston Villa, but his suspension does not affect his availability for the Champions League meeting with Roma.

There is now a suggestion that Carrick should consider making changes to his central defensive selection rather than immediately restoring Martinez to the starting lineup.

Matthijs de Ligt is another option after gradually working towards full fitness following an extended injury absence.

The Netherlands international could partner Harry Maguire against Roma, potentially giving United an opportunity to establish continuity in the centre of defence ahead of their subsequent league fixture.

However, questions remain over whether De Ligt is ready to complete consecutive full matches.

One possible approach would involve managing his playing time against Roma before considering further adjustments for the Villa encounter.

Martinez could still feature from the bench in the European match, while Ayden Heaven is another defensive option for the following weekend.

United must first address the disappointment of their Stamford Bridge defeat, which extended their winless run to nine matches.

With two important fixtures approaching, Carrick faces a decision over how best to organise his central defence while managing the availability and fitness of his options.