Manchester United players barred from speaking to media after Lisandro Martinez outburst

Manchester United players were barred from speaking to the press after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds United, days after Lisandro Martinez was fined for his explosive outburst at the club hierarchy, according to The Sun.

Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes told reporters in the Elland Road mixed zone they were “not allowed” to speak. Fernandes told dedicated correspondents gathered in the mixed zone: “I can’t speak, I’m not allowed,” while Cunha explained the situation to a fellow Brazilian reporter.

The silence followed Martinez’s rant after United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, for which the defender was fined after demanding “more” from director of football Jason Wilcox. Martinez was forced off at half-time at Leeds with a thigh problem.

The Sun reports there was no specific directive from the club’s press officers to avoid the written media, and that United players rarely stop in the mixed zone unless chaperoned by a press officer. Harry Maguire was the only player to conduct post-match interviews, speaking to broadcast rights holders including Sky Sports as well as the club’s in-house channel MUTV, according to CentreDevils.

The draw left United 13th with one win in seven Premier League games. Leeds became the third side to draw after trailing Michael Carrick’s side, Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelling out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener. Bournemouth visit Old Trafford on Sunday. Read more in our Premier League coverage.