When a Warm-Up Goes Brutal: Martinez's 'Butcher' Moment Blasts Fernandes and Goes Viral

Before kickoff

Lisandro Martinez, Manchester United defender, earned the nickname 'The Butcher' after blasting a powerful shot into teammate Bruno Fernandes's face during warmups ahead of the Brighton match.

According to The Sun, United captain was stunned and needed medical treatment before the big FA Cup clash with Brighton.

Fernandes was seen later training with a cotton insert in his nostrils to stem the bleeding quickly.

Reaction and aftermath

The stunning scenes before kickoff grabbed online attention as fans rushed to react to what they had just witnessed and to discuss how it might affect the players' confidence.

One wrote: "He's rough even with his own teammates, sometimes."

Another fan posted: "Seems painful, but I’ll admit it was funny to watch—timing was perfect."

A third supporter chimed in: "That expression says it all—he knew what he was doing, clearly."

Another fan joked: "That’s the face you make when a rocket finds a teammate’s head from point-blank range" with a laughing emoji.

Manchester United were eliminated at home as they fell 2-1 to Brighton in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford. The result sparked supporters to debate squad rotation and what it means for their domestic schedule in the weeks ahead.

Punchline: If warmups are this heated, the bench might need a cooling fan.

Punchline 2: Remember: sometimes you can score with your humor as much as with your foot—though probably not in the same match.