Michael Carrick Uncertain on De Ligt's Return Amid Back Injury

Man Utd defender De Ligt may miss rest of season

Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt may miss rest of season with back injury, admits boss Michael Carrick.

De Ligt's World Cup participation in doubt as United defender struggles with injury...

Manchester United's manager, Michael Carrick, is uncertain about Matthijs de Ligt's return to the field, citing the defender's “difficult” back injury. De Ligt has been sidelined since November 30 and hasn't played for United since their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Carrick admits that De Ligt's recovery has been slower than expected, and there's a possibility he might miss the rest of the season and even the World Cup.

De Ligt's absence has been felt, with Harry Maguire stepping up impressively in his place. United is currently third in the Premier League and will face Bournemouth on Friday, looking to strengthen their Champions League bid. Carrick is being patient with De Ligt's recovery, prioritizing his health over rushing him back.

The young centre-back, 26, has been off the pitch for a while, last playing for United on November 30th against Crystal Palace. 

“He's obviously trying to work towards getting back, but it's just the back issue really that's proving difficult,” Carrick said.

“We'll keep working as hard as we can to get him back as quick as we can.”

Asked if there was a chance he would not feature for United for the rest of the campaign, Carrick said: “Honestly, it's difficult to say just because it's taken that much time.

“I can't give you any more on it, really. It's one of those things with backs that sometimes you think it's all right, and then all of a sudden it's not quite right.

“We're just kind of being patient and working through it. We'll just have to see. We'll obviously give him time, but trying to get him back as quick as we can, but it's really difficult to say.

“I'm not trying to hide anything. Literally at the moment, we don't know, so we'll have to wait and see.”

Michael was asked about the fitness of Matthijs in our pre-Bournemouth press conference 🎙️

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 19, 2026

De Ligt's World Cup dreams are hanging in the balance as his back injury lingers, with surgery a possibility. The Netherlands centre-back's prolonged absence has raised concerns about his availability for the tournament, leaving fans and the national team worried.