Man Utd have some excellent centre-back options on paper but getting them out onto the pitch this season has been difficult to do.

Manchester United committed almost £100million to sign Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez. The coveted centre-backs should be at their peak and forming a formidable defensive partnership together at Old Trafford.

But injuries and fitness issues mean getting them out together on the same pitch is proving almost impossible. In their absence at the moment, it is an old-stager in Harry Maguire and a young buck in Leny Yoro who are leading the United defence for Michael Carrick.

Such have been the injury issues affecting De Ligt, 26, and Martinez, 28, that they have been on the same pitch together for just eight minutes in close to 14 months. That came at the end of the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in November.

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The last time De Ligt and Martinez started a game together was in January 2024, when they were in the team that won 2-0 against FCSB in Bucharest in the Europa League. Martinez suffered a cruciate ligament injury against Crystal Palace in the following game.

When the Argentine returned to the team in November, De Ligt went down with a back injury he still can’t shake. Now Martinez is set to miss a fourth successive game with a calf problem that he initially hoped would rule him out for only one match.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way when they joined the club. Both former Ajax alumni under Erik ten Hag, Martinez joined directly from Amsterdam for an initial £48.3million in 2022, with potential add-ons of £8.4million. Two years later, De Ligt signed from Bayern Munich for £38.4million, with a further £4.3million in add-ons.

Both have shown signs since then that they have what it takes to thrive at United. Martinez was outstanding in his first season, especially, and was finding form again before his latest injury. De Ligt was in the best form of his Old Trafford career before suffering his back injury.

The concern is how robust they can be, and whether United can afford to carry two prime-age centre-backs who are struggling to stay fit enough to contribute for a full season. Martinez is now closing in on 100 games missed through injury since he signed in the summer of 2022.

De Ligt is only in his second full season at the club and has now missed 26 games. His latest back issue is a concern. Ruben Amorim initially suggested he would be missing for just a couple of weeks, but it is now three-and-a-half months, and on a couple of occasions, he has been close to returning to training before complaining of pain and having to go back a stage or two.

In his absence, Maguire has stepped in to produce a string of superb performances. The 33-year-old is out of contract in the summer, but his form, coupled with fears of the durability of De Ligt and Martinez, could earn him a new deal. His teammates want him to stay and talks are likely to centre over a pay cut from his current £190,000-a-week deal, which could be offset with a two-year extension.

United also have one of Europe’s most promising centre-backs in Yoro. The 20-year-old has had a difficult season, but his form has been better of late and there are still high hopes for him, while Ayden Heaven, 19, has been a revelation since joining from Arsenal for £1.5million just over a year ago.

In Maguire, United can be happy with the experience they have in defence, and in Yoro and Heaven they have two excellent prospects for the future. At the moment, it is the players who should be at their peak and should probably be starting together every week who are causing the concern.