Manchester United pushed up into the top six in the Premier League on Sunday as they secured an emphatic 3-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford.
Two goals from Alejandro Garnacho came after a terrific opener from Rasmus Hojlund to send the Red Devils above the Hammers and up to sixth in the table.
Erik ten Hag's side are now five games unbeaten in all competitions and have scored 11 goals in their last three games; three against West Ham, four against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and four against Newport County.
However, United were hit with what could be a major blow during the win over David Moyes' side as Lisandro Martinez was forced off with a knee injury during the second half.
After an awkward landing with Vladimir Coufal, the Argentina international was unable to continue and ten Hag has since confirmed that there is a "bad concern" around this issue, although the club are waiting for the extent of the blow to be confirmed in the days to come.
The Dutch head coach could now be forced to alter his side once again, having only recently had the centre-back available after a lengthy foot injury, and could find a surprise replacement by bringing Willy Kambwala back in from the U23s.
Kobbie Mainoo is a perfect example of how United can find solutions to their first-team problems by dipping into the academy to unearth fresh talent.
Kobbie Mainoo's emergence this season
The 18-year-old talent whiz worked his way into the starting XI this season and has started all nine of his Premier League appearances so far.
Ten Hag has placed his faith in the teenage gem and been rewarded with a string of impressive displays at the heart of the Red Devils midfield.
Mainoo has made his presence felt defensively with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match and a duel success rate of 53%. This shows that he can put his foot in to cut out opposition attacks and, despite his age, has the physicality to hold his own in physical contests.
He has also completed 85% of his passes and recently had his name in the headlines after a stunning winning goal in the dramatic 4-3 victory against Wolves.
The English dynamo beautifully beat several defenders around the box before driving into the area to unleash a perfect finish into the far bottom corner in the 97th minute to secure all three points for his side.
Mainoo stepped up when it mattered most to win the match for his side, at the age of 18, and the exceptional youngster is a fantastic example to the club's current crop of U23 players of what they can achieve if they take their chance when it comes along.
Kambwala, if given the opportunity, could step in and be Mainoo 2.0 as another academy prospect who could emerge as a first-team option due to this injury to Martinez, who is an important player for United.
Lisandro Martinez's importance to United
The World Cup winner has been restricted to eight Premier League appearances this season but has been a typically impressive performer when fit.
Martinez has averaged 1.9 tackles and interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game across those eight top-flight outings, and completed 94% of his attempted passes.
The 26-year-old also ranks within the top 28% of centre-backs in the division for progressive passes (4.52) per 90, the top 15% for progressive carries (1.29) per 90.
Last season, Martinez played in 27 of the club's 38 Premier League matches and caught the eye with his solid performances at the back for the Red Devils.
He dominated opposition attackers in physical contests with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that forwards struggled to get the better of him throughout the campaign.
The United star also made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a pass success rate of 87%, as he showcased his defensive capabilities and quality on the ball to regularly find teammates in possession.
Why Kambwala could be a surprise Martinez replacement
With Raphael Varane out of contract in the summer, it could make more sense for United to look to the future with a partner for Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire whilst Martinez recovers from this latest injury blow.
If the France international is not going to be at Old Trafford next season, then tag Hag should offer Kambwala the opportunity to show that he can be part of the long-term picture.
The 19-year-old was handed his Premier League debut earlier this term and there were glimpses of the quality that he could provide at centre-back, despite a 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium.
Kambwala completed five progressive passes and two progressive carries in 84 minutes on the pitch against the Hammers. Whereas, Martinez averaged 3.53 progressive passes and 0.51 progressive carries per 90 throughout the 2022/23 Premier League season.
There is no guarantee that the youngster would be able to do that consistently over the course of a top-flight campaign but it does suggest that he is a forward-thinking defender, like the Argentine titan, who likes to progress play with the ball at his feet.
As well as being composed and progressive in possession, Kambwala also has the potential to be a strong defender who can win the ball back and dominate opposition attackers.
Appearances
Three
Tackles per game
2.0
Interceptions per game
1.7
Ball recoveries per game
9.3
Duel success rate
76%
As you can see in the table above, the teenage colossus, who ten Hag claimed has a "bright" future, can make an impressive contribution at the back by coming out on top in the majority of his battles and making multiple tackles and interceptions per game to stop attacks.
Kambwala recently showcased his physical attributes in a first-team setting as he came off the bench to win five of his six duels, including all four of his aerial battles, in the 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup.
Ten Hag could, therefore, unearth a surprise replacement for Martinez, instead of going for an experience option in Varane, by offering the U23 starlet regular minutes to develop and emerge as a first-team starter, in the same way that Mainoo has in recent weeks.
The aforementioned statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be a useful operator for the Red Devils and it will be interesting to see how he gets on if given the chance to impress.
