Carrick delivers bad news about De Ligt.

Manager Michael Carrick admitted he couldn't determine when central defender Matthijs de Ligt would return to play for Manchester United.

De Ligt has not yet set a return date.

Speaking to the media, Carrick said: “It’s difficult to give a specific timeframe. With a back injury, sometimes you think everything is fine, then problems arise. We need to be patient and give him maximum support.”

De Ligt was a key player in the Red Devils' defense, playing in all 13 of their opening matches. However, he was surprisingly absent from the game against West Ham United on December 4th.

At the time, manager Ruben Amorim considered it a minor issue and hoped the Dutch defender would be fit to return for the away match against Wolves a few days later. However, things did not go as planned.

De Ligt is still unavailable and will continue to miss the match against Bournemouth on March 21st. If the situation persists, the 26-year-old will be out of action for more than four months before Manchester United face Leeds on April 13th.

Despite much speculation about the possibility of surgery, Carrick declined to comment further: “We are doing everything we can. He is progressing, but not as quickly as expected.”

The prolonged injury has also significantly impacted De Ligt's chances of being called up to the Netherlands national team for the 2026 World Cup. Although he was previously called up by coach Ronald Koeman, his participation is now in doubt.

Highlights MU 3-1 Aston Villa: On the night of March 15th, MU defeated Aston Villa 3-1 at Old Trafford in the 30th round of the Premier League.

Source: https://znews.vn/carrick-bao-tin-xau-ve-de-ligt-post1636492.html