Man Utd given double boost as Baleba debut, De Ligt return updates revealed
According to reports, Manchester United have been boosted by the imminent returns of Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt.
Man Utd have had a poor start to the 2026/27 campaign, with Michael Carrick’s side only picking up five points from their first five Premier League games, while they have also exited the Carabao Cup.
Therefore, Carrick is already under pressure and he needs Man Utd’s form to pick up after the international break.
And thankfully for Carrick, he is set to be boosted by the returns of Baleba and De Ligt.
Baleba joined Man Utd from Brighton in the summer for around £70m, but he is yet to make his debut for the Premier League giants.
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The talented midfielder has been dealing with an ankle injury at the start of this season, but he has ramped up his efforts to make a speedy return during the international break.
De Ligt, meanwhile, has not played since November 2025 as he has been struggling with a back injury, but he is also due to return soon.
Return timeline for Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt revealed
A new report from Manchester Evening News claims Man Utd have fixtures in mind for when Baleba and De Ligt should return to action, with the two players due to be back within the next couple of games.
The report explained:
‘De Ligt has trained with the first-team squad again this week and is expected to be back amongst the substitutes sooner rather than later, potentially against either Atletico Madrid or Como in the Champions League.
‘Talking of Baleba, he is in contention to start against Tottenham next Saturday as he continues to step up his training intensity. The 22-year-old was at Carrington last week when most of his teammates were on holiday and he’s been part of first-team training this week as well. Although he hasn’t played since May, his body of training work could put him in the frame to start.’
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And ex-Man Utd star Louis Saha has explained why his former side’s season could hinge on Baleba’s return.
“Manchester United’s season will only truly begin once Carlos Baleba is fit enough to be the starting, first-choice midfielder in the team,” Saha said.
“He brings more power to the game than Kobbie Mainoo or Youri Tielemans, who are both great footballers, but Baleba has a greater engine and can take this team to a higher level.
“I like how aggressive he can be with the ball, and I think he can drive forward to break the lines with his dribbling. It would be a mistake to put him into a system that stops him doing that.
“He can be like Casemiro, who was not a dribbler but he was able to get the team up the pitch and play passes high to the striker or the wingers straight away. He recovered the ball and his first pass was always forward.
“Sometimes he made mistakes or lost the ball but it doesn’t matter because the benefit to the team compensated that.
“This is the job of the defence to give their midfielders the confidence to take these risks and find other players. If they don’t feel they can take these risks, it is a great shame because right now Manchester United have a forward line of real killers. They just aren’t being given the freedom to play.
“Carlos Baleba can give them that freedom and unlock the team more than Kobbie Mainoo or Youri Tielemans but they can provide that balance. You need both.”
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