Man Utd Handed Welcome Injury Boost As New Premier League Season Nears

Manchester United welcomed center back Matthijs de Ligt back into first-team training on Monday, signaling that the end of his frustrating eight-month injury layoff is getting close.

De Ligt hasn’t played since Nov. 30, 2025 because of a troublesome back problem that eventually saw him have surgery in May. That procedure was deemed a success and the Dutchman has spent preseason until now working on his rehabilitation at Carrington.

But this leg of the club’s summer tour of northern Europe, which has so far taken in camps and matches in Finland, Norway and Sweden, saw De Ligt link up with the squad for the first time as the group traveled to the Republic of Ireland.

He took part in the first 15 minutes of Monday’s training session at a facility in Co. Kildare, before a planned move back onto his own individual program as the intensity for the rest of the group then increased. Although there is still work for De Ligt to do before he can return to playing matches, this can certainly be viewed as a positive step in his overall recovery process.

Carrick’s Red Devils will take the short ride to Dublin on Wednesday, facing Leeds United at the city’s famed Croke Park stadium. The group will then conclude preseason on Saturday with a match against AC Milan, coincidentally now managed by former Reds boss Ruben Amorim, in Wrocław, Poland.

De Ligt Among 10 Players Added to Latest Man Utd Squad

At this late stage of preseason—the new 2026–27 Premier League campaign kicks off in just under two weeks—every player is now back with the squad in Ireland.

That’s everyone who was on post-World Cup vacations, as well as De Ligt and Benjamin Šeško—who were both working at Carrington—and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

JJ Gabriel, who was given a few minutes off the bench against Atlético Madrid in Stockholm but was not included in the group for travel to Gothenburg to face Paris Saint-Germain, has also rejoined. There is a first opportunity with the senior squad for new winger Tynan Thompson, too. The 18-year-old has joined from Tottenham Hotspur with hopes that he could make the same kind of impact that Ayden Heaven did when he was poached from Arsenal in 2025.

Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens would both ideally have been there in Gothenburg for the PSG match, but illness ruled the pair out of the trip. They are now recovered. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, with England until the World Cup’s final weekend, trained on Monday, while Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez flew in later that evening.

Where De Ligt Fits in Man Utd’s Defense

Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire — Matthijs de Ligt is competing for the same spot as Harry Maguire. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

How Carrick lines up his back four on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, which sees Manchester United travel east across England to face Hull City on Aug. 22, is likely to depend on what condition Martínez is in.

The 2026 World Cup finalist is the club’s best left center back and an automatic starter when healthy, but will have had minimal opportunity to train and rebuild his fitness after a heavily delayed summer break has eaten through most of preseason.

It could be that Heaven gets the chance instead, alongside Harry Maguire.

When De Ligt is fully healthy, he will be directly competing with Maguire for the right-sided spot. Leny Yoro, who is perhaps more versatile than the others, is also right-footed.

Injuries permitting, Carrick will ideally settle on a first-choice back four bookended by fullbacks Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot. But at least eight extra matches this season brought by involvement in the Champions League, combined with expected longer runs in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, will require considerable rotation and resting to keep players fresh.

So, a deep squad is going to be very necessary.

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