Manchester, Feb 6 (IANS): Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez is expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury, the Premier League club said.

The Argentine defender left the field in the 71st minute, following a defensive tussle with Vladimir Coufal. Having gone down holding his knee, the Argentine was determined to continue but had to be withdrawn when collapsing in pain once again moments later, during UNited's 3-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

"Lisandro Martinez has sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his knee and is expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks." United said in a statement on Monday.

It is a hugely disappointing setback for Martinez, who only recently returned from a previous long-term injury as he had surgery to fix a recurring foot problem first suffered against Sevilla in April, but he remains upbeat and determined to bounce back.

In a post on social media, Martinez shared a message with our fans. "I want to give a heartfelt thanks for the great support I've received and to reassure you that I'll soon be back out there, and we'll fight together. Always united!”