Carrick will be delighted: Surgery ruled out for £42.9m Man Utd star, return timeline revealed

Manchester United could be handed a timely fitness boost in March as one of their defensive leaders edges closer to a return.

According to The Sun, Matthijs de Ligt has set his sights on making his long-awaited return next month.

The Dutch defender has not featured since November, having been ruled out with a troublesome back injury that disrupted his momentum.

The report adds that De Ligt was close to returning last month, only to suffer a minor setback that delayed his comeback.

Encouragingly for the United faithful, he has avoided surgery and continues to work closely with club medics at Carrington as part of his rehabilitation programme.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a commanding start to the 2025-26 campaign, playing every single minute of United’s opening 13 Premier League matches before being forced out.

His early-season consistency and leadership even placed him among the frontrunners for the club’s Player of the Season award, alongside Bryan Mbeumo.

Head coach Michael Carrick will undoubtedly welcome the prospect of reintegrating the £42.9 million signing into his squad at a decisive stage of the campaign.

With Champions League qualification firmly in sight, Carrick knows he will require contributions and impact from every member of his squad.

Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have been the first-choice centre-back pairing under Carrick but a fully fit De Ligt could easily replace the England international.

United currently occupy fourth place with 45 points, but the margin for error remains slim with Chelsea and Liverpool breathing down their necks.

Stats from Fotmob.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .