Concern for Carrick: Fresh injury update emerges on £42.9m Man Utd man

Manchester United have received a fresh update regarding the injury situation of Matthijs de Ligt.

The Dutch international has been sidelined since November 30 after suffering a troublesome back injury.

Former manager Ruben Amorim initially suggested that the defender would return sooner rather than later, but it has now become clear that the issue was far more serious than first believed.

Interim head coach Michael Carrick has also failed to provide a timeline for his return.

According to reliable insider Sully Talkz, the 26-year-old has been doing gym and rehabilitation work at Carrington.

One source has reportedly revealed that De Ligt has been “through hell” during what has been an extremely difficult spell on the sidelines.

It was revealed recently that the centre-back was supposed to return in January but he suffered multiple setbacks that delayed his recovery.

De Ligt had started the 2025-26 campaign in outstanding fashion, playing every single minute in the Premier League before injury struck.

His red-hot form in the opening months even made him an early contender for the prestigious Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

The £42.9 million signing would be worried that his injury problems may become a reason for his omission from the Netherlands squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Carrick would undoubtedly love to have the former Ajax defender back in his squad, but current indications suggest he may still be at least a month away from full fitness.

Before making his return, De Ligt will need to progress through individual conditioning sessions and then gradually reintegrate into full team training.

With only nine games remaining in the season, there is now a genuine possibility that the defender may not feature again before the campaign concludes.

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Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .