Lisandro Martínez stars for Argentina against Cape Verde Islands

Lisandro Martínez's 9.2-rated display in Argentina's 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde Islands was the kind of all-round performance Manchester United have been missing when he is out. He scored once, set up Lionel Messi's opener and completed 120 passes with 98% accuracy from centre-back. It was a clean reminder of how much he can do when he is fit and fully involved.

Martínez's role in Argentina's win

The match itself was tight enough to need extra time in the Argentina vs Cape Verde Islands round of 32. Martínez gave Argentina the first big attacking moment by assisting Messi in the 29th minute, then delivered the second goal himself in the 92nd minute.

Those are not normal numbers for a centre-back. A goal, an assist, 120 passes and a 9.2 rating is the sort of line you would expect from a midfielder running the game, not a defender starting at the back of a 4-4-2. Argentina used him as a build-up hub and he handled it without looking rushed.

The comeback story behind the performance

The football was only part of why this stood out. Martínez admitted: "I was considering retirement from football after I suffered an ACL injury last year". He also said, "If my daughter hadn't been born right when I got injured, I don't know if I'd be here playing today."

That gives the performance a sharper edge, but it should not bury the football. This was still an elite game from a player who has spent large parts of the season interrupted by injury and suspension. Martínez was selected at centre-back in Argentina's 4-4-2, played through a demanding match, and came away with the clearest individual case in it.

For United, that is the useful part. Martínez has already shown in this World Cup that the level is still there, with three appearances and a 7.9 average so far. After a season in which United finished third in the Premier League, his return to anything like this form would be a proper boost rather than a nice bonus.

The next step is simply keeping him on the pitch long enough for it to matter. Argentina move on from a round-of-32 win that needed extra time, and United will be watching the same thing from afar: whether the defender who looked so close to stopping entirely can now keep producing at this level.