Things just keep going from bad to worse for Manchester United, as their winless run stretched to nine games in a row this weekend. The Red Devils were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Michael Carrick's job now appears to be hanging by a thread, as he watched second-half goals from Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer sink his team. The Englishman would have been happy with his team's first-half efforts, but things really imploded after the break.

Most notably, centre-back Lisandro Martinez let his team down, picking up a silly red card as he gave away a penalty, allowing Palmer to kill the game off when things were still in the balance. The Argentine was also at fault for the first goal, as part of a defence which allowed Rogers to storm through on goal with little resistance.

Joe Cole Slams Man Utd Star

Speaking on the game, former Chelsea star Joe Cole was less than impressed with Martinez's display. The TNT Sports pundit was extremely critical of the defender, remarking:

“I’m lost for words because you’d think there’s been clearing the air conversations with the manager and now he goes and does something like this?”

Later, Cole even went as far as to say this could be the last time the centre-back plays for the Red Devils:

It was very telling that Carrick and Martinez didn't acknowledge one another, or even look in the same direction, when the Argentine walked off the pitch for an early shower. However, the Man Utd boss refused to be critical of the defender after the match, and publicly denied any claims that he felt let down by the player.

Martinez's Contract Up This Summer Amid Criticism of Jason Wilcox

Martinez has less than a year left on his current contract, and after his poor form and explosive criticism of the club in recent times, it feels unlikely that a new deal would be wanted by either party. Speaking after Man Utd's Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, he went on an extraordinary rant, questioning the summer recruitment of his teammates by Jason Wilcox:

Martinez will now be suspended for the home visit of Aston Villa in the Premier League. With two months until January, though, it seems unlikely that he won't play again for the Red Devils.

However, the winter window will likely be a final opportunity for Man Utd to bring in any cash for the defender, who will be out of contract in June 2027. As such, it wouldn't be a shock to see him depart in the near future.