Despite the fact that Lisandro Martinez is recovering from foot surgery and wearing a shirt, Pope Francis greeted him with open arms on Thursday at the Vatican.
When Pope Francis was given a Manchester United jersey on Thursday that belonged to his Argentine countryman Lisandro Martinez, he beaming with joy.
When an ecumenical group from Manchester paid a visit to the Vatican and was granted a meeting with the head of the Catholic Church, the gift was presented to the pontiff.
Martinez, a World Cup winner, issued a personal greeting to the delegation while recovering from surgery on a season-ending foot ailment.
Pope Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires, smiled as Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, presented him with the shirt.
The Vatican's news service referred to Argentina's victory against France in the World Cup championship match as "a truly herculean, titanic and historic example of the absolutely sublime athletic skill, reaching for the stars by the stars" at the time.
Martinez inscribed "Your holiness, with much love, LM" on the United shirt that Pope Francis was given, along with images of his winning championships with United and Argentina.
The pope stressed the necessity of making sure "the environmental and social crises of our time are not two separate crises, but one" during the discussion with the Manchester group.
"Your united witness is particularly eloquent," he added. "Your city's history is closely tied to the industrial revolution, with its legacy of enormous technological and economic advancement, as well as an admittedly negative impact on the human and natural environment."
Before loaning out the center back last summer, Erik ten Hag determined that he was surplus to requirements, and it appears that the manager has not changed his view this campaign.
In fact, it appears quite unlikely that Bailly will be in the Dutchman's future plans considering the recent performances of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
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