Matthijs de Ligt Returns to Training After Injury Setback

Matthijs de Ligt is finally edging back toward the stage that has been missing him for almost a year.

The Manchester United defender has not played a competitive minute since a stubborn back injury forced him out in November 2025. What began as a niggle became a saga: six months of treatment, constant work, no real breakthrough. Eventually, the inevitable call arrived. Surgery.

That operation in May did more than fix a problem. It shut the door on his 2026 World Cup dream. De Ligt knew it at the time, and he didn’t hide his frustration. On social media he admitted that, after half a year of graft, going under the knife was “the only option left,” a decision that left him unable to help United or his country on the biggest stage.

Now the tone has changed.

Back on the grass at Carrington

De Ligt is back in full training at Carrington, and those around him can feel the shift. The Dutch centre-back is moving freely again, building sharpness, ticking off the final boxes after a long, draining lay-off. United’s medical staff expect him to be available for selection once the current international break is over.

For Michael Carrick, that news could hardly come at a better time. United’s defence has creaked without its commanding Dutchman, and the manager name-checked him after the recent 1-1 draw with Fulham.

“Amad [Diallo], hopefully by the time we get back, he will have trained with the group. Matta [De Ligt] is working towards his fitness as well,” Carrick said, hinting at a squad about to regain some serious firepower.

United return to Premier League action on October 10 against Tottenham Hotspur. Carrick has not promised De Ligt will start, or even feature, but the fact the defender is back in team sessions suggests his comeback is no longer a distant prospect. It’s close.

Xavi keeps the Oranje door wide open

The club story is only half of it. De Ligt’s status with the Netherlands remains intact.

Under their new manager, Barcelona legend Xavi, the Oranje are gearing up for a demanding Nations League run against Germany, Serbia, and Greece. Xavi has made it clear that De Ligt is still central to his plans and that the national team is tracking his progress in Manchester.

“Yes, we’re in touch with him and Manchester United,” Xavi said. “He’s been through a tough time. I’ve also been in touch with Frenkie de Jong and Xavi Simons recently. We need all our players, especially these guys.”

The message is unmistakable. De Ligt isn’t just another name on a long list.

“He’s doing well. We are checking how are they. We want to check because we need all the players. In this case, De Ligt is an important player. He could be important in the future,” Xavi added, underlining the defender’s place in the Oranje hierarchy.

For a player who has captained Ajax, moved for big fees, and carried big expectations, this last year has been a brutal test of patience and resolve. The operation cost him a World Cup, months of club football, and the rhythm that defines an elite defender’s game. But it also cleared the path. No more half-measures. No more “wait and see.”

A defence about to get its leader back

United have felt his absence. Without De Ligt’s presence, organisation, and aggression, the backline has lacked a natural anchor. His return changes the picture immediately. If he proves his match fitness in the coming weeks, he walks straight back into contention and gives Carrick the kind of defensive platform every manager craves.

And if he looks like the old De Ligt in a red shirt, the knock-on effect is obvious. Xavi’s next Netherlands squad will suddenly have a familiar name back in bold, not in brackets.

After a year defined by setbacks and what-ifs, the equation is simple now: get minutes, stay fit, impose himself again.

If he does, this long, painful detour might yet become the turning point that shapes the rest of his career.