Manchester United: Michael Carrick issues Matthijs de Ligt injury timeline in latest update

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·23. Januar 2026

Manchester United: Michael Carrick issues Matthijs de Ligt injury timeline in latest update

Key defender has been sidelined for weeks

Dutch pair Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee are the only two injury concerns at present, with the Red Devils otherwise having a full complement for their trip to north London.

Carrick welcomed back Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo from the Africa Cup of Nations in his first game as caretaker manager, beating Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford.

Mbeumo scored the opener on that day, with Amad impressing off the right flank.

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De Ligt and Zirkzee both did not make the squad for the Manchester derby, with the former struggling with a lower back problem and Zirkzee out with a muscular problem.

Ahead of his side’s encounter with Arsenal, Carrick said that he hoped to have both Dutchmen back in action within a fortnight.

On de Ligt, he said: “He had a bit of setback. Well, not really a setback, before I arrived. [It was] only small but he was a little bit slower than we would have liked.

“He is getting closer and hopefully in the next couple of weeks he will be back and around it.”

United sit just one point off Liverpool in the race to finish in the top four.

Carrick takes charge of his second game of his second spell in interim charge this weekend, having taken over the reins from Ruben Amorim until the end of the season.

Amorim was dismissed after the 1-1 draw at Leeds, and Darren Fletcher took over for the following two matches, overseeing a 2-2 draw with Burnley and a 2-1 defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round.