Man Utd defender ruled out with calf injury before Everton clash

Manchester United suffered an untimely blow when a key defender was ruled out of their trip to Everton hours before kick-off with a calf injury.

A victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium would have moved Michael Carrick's side three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool and tightened their hold on fourth place.

Lisandro Martinez was absent from United's squad list for the trip; The Athletic reported he is sidelined with a calf problem. It is a significant setback for the Argentine, who had only returned to action in December after eight months out with an ACL injury.

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