Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt sets his sights on a return to action next month | OneFootball

Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt suffered a minor setback last month, just as he appeared to be closing in on a return, according to the Sun.

The Netherlands international has not played for Man United since November 30 due to a lower back problem.

De Ligt has missed the last 15 games as a result but could soon hand the Red Devils a much-needed injury boost.

The Dutchman has set his sights on a return to action next month as the Old Trafford club look to secure Champions League football for next season.

De Ligt has played 13 league games for Man United this season and will hope to return on time to play more games ahead of the World Cup.

The 26-year-old returned to the Netherlands team last November for the first time since 2024 and will be desperate to earn a spot in their World Cup squad.

However, he could find it tricky to break into Michael Carrick’s starting XI due to the form and partnership of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez.

They have started Man United’s last five Premier League games together, and the results have been impressive.

The Red Devils have won four and drawn one under Carrick and even Leny Yoro has found it difficult to play, featuring for just 22 minutes so far.

Man United have just 12 games remaining and may look to stick to their current line-up except in the case of an injury to any of their starters.

De Ligt will keep working hard and hope to return very soon to boost his chances of forcing his way into the plans of Carrick going forward.

Man United are fourth in the league table but will face fierce competition from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool for the Champions League spots.