Man United Defenders Martinez, Lindelof Ruled Out for at Least a Month Because of Injuries 

Manchester United's Swedish defender #02 Victor Lindelof eyes the ball as he warms up prior to the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on March 30, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester United's Swedish defender #02 Victor Lindelof eyes the ball as he warms up prior to the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on March 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Man United Defenders Martinez, Lindelof Ruled Out for at Least a Month Because of Injuries 

Manchester United's Swedish defender #02 Victor Lindelof eyes the ball as he warms up prior to the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on March 30, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester United's Swedish defender #02 Victor Lindelof eyes the ball as he warms up prior to the English Premier League football match between Brentford and Manchester United at the Gtech Community Stadium in London on March 30, 2024. (AFP)

Manchester United defenders Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof have been ruled out of action for at least a month because of injuries, the club said Tuesday.

Argentina international Martinez suffered a calf strain in training and Lindelof hurt his hamstring in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Brentford.

United hopes both players will return before the end of the season, but their absences will likely hinder Erik ten Hag’s attempt to secure Champions League qualification.

The United manager has had to contend with a slew of squad injuries this season, with Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Casemiro among the players who have been sidelined for prolonged periods.

Martinez has made just 11 appearances this season and only recently recovered from knee ligament damage. He was previously out for three months after undergoing surgery on his right foot for a metatarsal injury in October.

Sixth-place United is 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth with a game in hand.

Ten Hag’s team is also in the semifinals of the FA Cup and will play second-division Coventry at Wembley later this month.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.