Just in: Fresh blow for Man Utd as Ten Hag signing undergoes surgery – He’ll be out for three months | OneFootball

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt was forced to go under the knife to repair the long-standing damage in his back.

The Dutchman started the campaign on a brilliant note, cementing himself as a regular starter for Ruben Amorim.

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However, the 26-year-old suffered a back injury in November and hasn’t made an appearance since.

Matthijs de Ligt undergoes back surgery

At first, De Ligt’s condition didn’t look too serious, and he was tipped to make a speedy recovery. However, almost six months have passed since the centre-back last played for United, raising major concerns among the fanbase.

De Ligt had been making small steps in his recovery path, recently returning to grass training, although he continued to work on his own, away from the group.

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But on Friday afternoon, the Sun’s Manchester United correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, revealed that the player underwent back surgery.

Luckhurst revealed the news through a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, before later adding that the surgery had been a success according to club sources.

The journalist also revealed De Ligt is expected to make his return to action after three months, thus taking his time on the sidelines to nine months.

What’s next for Man Utd & De Ligt

Sadly for the defender, his injury ordeal hasn’t only wrecked his campaign but will also prevent him from taking part in this summer’s World Cup. Hence, it also represents a blow for the Dutch national team.

Nevertheless, if surgery is the only way to fix this plaguing issue and allow the player to resume his career as normal, then it was past time to embark on this ship.

The question remains whether Man Utd should resort to the market to reinforce their backline or confirm the current crop, while taking into account that De Ligt will require additional time to regain his best athletic condition once he’s medically cleared, as nine months on the shelf will certainly take its toll on his body.

Most Man Utd fans wouldn’t mind the arrival of a new defender, but if Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven, and Leny Yoro are all fit at the start of the season, Michael Carrick should have enough options at his disposal to kickstart the campaign while waiting for De Ligt to rejoin the fold.