Manchester United have revealed that defender Matthijs de Ligt took part in the opening section of Monday’s training session in Ireland as part of his rehabilitation.
The Dutchman has not played for the Red Devils since November last year due to a back injury. He suffered a recurrence in the second half of the season and underwent surgery in May.
United have already confirmed that the centre-back won’t be available for the early portion of the new season, but he was still involved in yesterday’s session as part of his ongoing recovery.
The Netherlands ace travelled with eight players to County Kildare for this week’s camp. He took part in the opening 15 minutes of training with his teammates before doing individual work.
De Ligt’s return would provide a huge boost
The 26-year-old had a good start to the previous campaign under former manager Ruben Amorim. He was one of the stand-out performers before sustaining an untimely back issue.
It was deemed a minor one at the time, with suggestions that he could return by January or February. However, De Ligt suffered multiple recurrences before he underwent an operation.
The £42.7m signing has been out of action for more than eight months, and his participation in light training yesterday suggests it could take a few weeks before he is fully involved.
De Ligt’s return would be a huge boost for the Red Devils. The club currently have Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven as the only fit central defenders ahead of the new season.
Lisandro Martinez picked up an injury in the World Cup final for Argentina against Spain, but the club’s medical staff remain confident that he will have recovered before the league opener at Hull City.
De Ligt and Martinez could be eased back into action. The former may be restricted to cameo appearances on his return before he becomes a regular starter under manager Michael Carrick.
On paper, De Ligt and Martinez would no doubt be the manager’s first-choice centre-backs.
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