Manchester United fans glimpse Carlos Baleba as he features in secret Carrington friendly | OneFootball

Manchester United fans have finally seen summer recruit Carlos Baleba in action. The midfielder featured in a behind-closed-doors run-out at Carrington after a lay-off, a rare bright spot amid a growing injury list.

ESPN reports he faced fellow INEOS-owned Lausanne-Sport on Friday, taking minutes alongside Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha.

The 22-year-old joined from Brighton in August for 30 million. He had been unavailable after suffering an ankle issue in pre-season, and although named on the bench for the 1-1 draw with Fulham before the international break, he was not used. The Carrington game marked his first unofficial outing in a United shirt.

Elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes managed a shin problem in Portugal camp, then returned to start their 4-2 win over Denmark.

Noussair Mazraoui added to United’s fitness concerns after limping out of Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations meeting with Lesotho. He landed awkwardly following a 68th-minute tackle and signalled to the bench in clear discomfort.

Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have withdrawn from England duty to address issues. Amad Diallo, Benjamin Sesko and Patrick Dorgu are also carrying fresh concerns, further limiting Michael Carrick’s options.

United host Tottenham at Old Trafford on October 10. If Baleba comes through unscathed and keeps building fitness, the summer signing could be in contention for a long-awaited competitive debut.

Source: Goal.com

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