Official Man Utd account provides huge injury update on ‘magnificent’ star: “We’re all behind you” | OneFootball

On Friday morning, Manchester United released photos of Matthijs de Ligt training on the grass for the first time in months.

The Dutchman’s campaign had started on a positive note, cementing himself as an automatic starter in Ruben Amorim’s back-three. Rio Ferdinand hailed De Ligt for his ‘magnificent’ displays.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY

Sadly for the 26-year-old, he suffered a back problem in November that has ruled him out of action ever since. Therefore, the defender missed the last two months of Amorim at Carrington, as well as Darren Fletcher’s brief stewardship, and has yet to play under Michael Carrick.

Man United show Matthijs de Ligt training with the ball

In recent days and weeks, there have been all sorts of rumours and speculations regarding the Netherlands international’s condition.

Several sources insisted that De Ligt won’t return to competitive action this season. While this could prove to be the case indeed, the centre-back is at least making important strides in his rehabilitation process based on the most recent evidence.

Want more Stretty News coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

This morning, the official Man Utd X account posted training-ground images showing the player working with the ball on the grass.

While the Ajax youth product is apparently working separately, it remains a significant step in the right direction.

The former Juventus and Bayern Munich star will be aiming to rejoin his teammates in group training, which is often considered the final step before earning a call-up on matchday.

De Ligt already aiming for next season

After five months of inactivity, Man Utd are unlikely to regain the best version of De Ligt in the final five weeks of the campaign.

Nevertheless, a gradual return to action would be comprehensive for the player to restore his confidence and head towards the summer break in high morale.

That being said, Man Utd’s medical staff will want to avoid a premature comeback given the delicacy of the situation.

Moreover, Carrick should have enough options at his disposal to navigate the remaining weeks of the campaign. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have been his main options, with Leny Yoro as the first backup, while Ayden Heaven has impressed almost every time he’s been called into action. Noussair Mazraoui also did well against Chelsea, offering an emergency option at centre-back when needed.