BUENOS AIRES, March 12-- Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has been drafted into Argentina's squad for friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in the United States, the South American country's football association said on Tuesday.

Injuries have restricted Martinez to just 10 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils this season and he has not played since suffering a knee injury against West Ham on February 4.

The Argentine FA confirmed the 26-year-old's call-up in a short social media post, without saying if the World Cup winner was replacing an injured teammate or being added to the Albiceleste's existing 26-man squad.

Argentina will meet El Salvador in Philadelphia on March 22 and Costa Rica in Los Angeles four days later.

The matches will provide a chance for Albiceleste manager Lionel Scaloni to fine-tune the team's preparations for the Copa America, to be played in the United States from June 20 to July 14.