MEN: Man Utd star who proved he was the ‘best’ in his position could ‘make the squad’ next Saturday | OneFootball

Matthijs de Ligt now has an outside chance of making the Manchester United squad for next weekend’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

The defender has been unavailable since sustaining a back injury in November 2025, meaning he has yet to play under Michael Carrick.

Matthijs de Ligt: The state of play

(Photo via club media)

Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston shared on Twitter/X this afternoon: “If Matthijs de Ligt came through yesterday’s behind-closed-doors friendly feeling fine, he could make the squad against Tottenham.

“It’s easy to forget because he’s been out for so long, but he was United’s best defender before his injury.”

Prior to his setback, the Dutch international had started and played the full 90 minutes in each of the opening 13 Premier League matches in 2025/2026.

Once he missed the remainder of the campaign and worked through his rehabilitation process without being deemed 100 per cent fit, he underwent surgery to correct the problem in May, ruling him out of any potential World Cup involvement.

Will De Ligt be a nailed-on starter when fully fit?

(Photo via club media)

Presumably, De Ligt will partner Lisandro Martinez for most matches, with 33-year-old Harry Maguire dropping to the bench.

Youngsters Ayden Heaven, 20, and Leny Yoro, also 20, will then be utilised sporadically while they continue to develop and refine their game in such high-pressure environments.

Of course, Carrick may decide to ease De Ligt back into the fold, given how long he’s been sidelined.

United have a whopping six fixtures to prepare for across the month of October, so there’ll certainly be opportunities for the former Ajax captain to get some crucial minutes under his belt.

The Reds return to action next Saturday in a 5.30pm kick-off against Tottenham Hotspur, before travelling to the Metropolitano to take on Atletico Madrid in their second Champions League group-phase fixture on Tuesday, October 13.

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