United suffered a 2-1 loss to their long-time rivals at Old Trafford on Monday night, missing an opportunity to strengthen their hold on third place in the race for Champions League qualification.
Martínez had returned to the starting lineup, forming a defensive partnership with Leny Yoro after being sidelined for five matches due to a calf issue.
However, the Argentine defender was sent off shortly before the hour mark.
He was deemed to have pulled Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during an aerial challenge.
Although the incident went unnoticed initially, VAR official John Brooks alerted match referee Paul Tierney to review the situation, which ultimately led to the red card.
The Premier League Match Centre later confirmed that Martínez was dismissed for violent conduct, resulting in a three-match suspension.
This means the defender will be unavailable for Saturday’s crucial fixture against Chelsea, a key encounter in the push for Champions League qualification.
He is also set to miss important home matches against Brentford and Liverpool on 3 May.
United manager Michael Carrick expressed his frustration with the decision, also questioning why Leeds’ opening goal stood after an earlier clash between Calvert-Lewin and Yoro, which allowed Noah Okafor to score.
It marked United’s second consecutive match with a red card, following Harry Maguire’s dismissal in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last month.
‘We didn’t start the game particularly well. We conceded, which came after Leny Yoro got a forearm smash in the back of his head,’ Carrick told Sky Sports.
‘They didn’t decide to overturn that, which was a big moment in the game. We didn’t quite have the rhythm, we didn’t click. We had some moments but it wasn’t there for large parts of the half.
‘I thought the boys stayed positive and fought for everything in the second half, after a shocking decision to send Licha [Martinez] off.
‘That’s two games in a row we’ve had those decisions go against us, but that one was one of the worst I’ve seen.’
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