Matthijs de Ligt’s Road to Recovery: Back for Manchester United and Netherlands
Matthijs de Ligt’s long road back is almost over.
The Dutch centre-back, sidelined for the best part of a year with a stubborn back injury, is closing in on a return for Manchester United and, crucially, for the Netherlands.
A year lost to injury
It started last November. A back problem that was supposed to be managed on the training pitch slowly swallowed his season. Rest, rehab, specialist treatment – nothing shifted it. For six months De Ligt tried to dodge the operating table. Six months of gym work, individual drills, hope, and then more setbacks.
In May, the decision came. Surgery. With it, his 2026 World Cup dream disappeared in an instant.
He admitted the blow publicly, posting that after half a year of work, surgery was “the only option left.” No late surge to make the tournament. No chance to help Manchester United through a turbulent campaign. Just a long, lonely recovery.
Back on the grass at Carrington
Now the mood around him has changed.
De Ligt is back in full training at Carrington and, according to United’s medical staff, making “significant” physical progress. The expectation inside the club is clear: once the current international break ends, he should finally be available for selection.
For Michael Carrick, that matters. United’s defence has creaked in his absence, and the manager is counting the days until he can call on his marquee centre-back again.
After a 1-1 draw with Fulham, Carrick gave a small but telling update: “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.” No promises, no guarantees – but the door is opening.
United return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10. Carrick has stopped short of confirming De Ligt will feature against Spurs, yet the fact the defender is already back in team sessions suggests his first appearance of the season is not far away.
Xavi keeps a close watch
His club comeback is only half the story.
Despite nearly a year without competitive football, De Ligt still sits at the heart of the Netherlands’ long-term plans. Under their new manager, Barcelona legend Xavi, the Oranje are trying to shape a squad that can carry them into the next cycle. De Ligt, even from the treatment room, has remained central to that vision.
“Yes, we’re in touch with him and Manchester United,” Xavi said ahead of a demanding Nations League run against Germany, Serbia, and Greece. “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 was firm. No drifting out of the picture. No sense of a defender being quietly phased out.
“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 exactly where the centre-back sits in his plans.
A test of character
This lay-off has cut deeper than most injuries. De Ligt is no stranger to pressure or expectation – former Ajax captain, big-money signing, leader at the back for club and country. Yet this time, the fight wasn’t on the pitch.
The choice to have surgery, knowing it would rule him out of a World Cup and a major chunk of his prime years, was a brutal one. It stripped away the immediate rewards and left only the grind: rehab sessions, incremental gains, and the distant promise of a proper return.
Now that promise is finally in sight.
If he can prove his match fitness over the coming weeks, De Ligt will walk straight back into United’s backline. His presence, his reading of the game, his authority – all of it gives Carrick a defensive platform he has been missing.
And if the comeback at club level goes as planned, the knock-on effect is obvious. A fit, sharp De Ligt doesn’t just strengthen Manchester United. He forces his way right back into Xavi’s next Netherlands squad and into the spine of a team looking to build its future around players exactly like him.
