Manchester United fans finally get a Matthijs de Ligt injury update

Manchester United supporters have been given the clearest indication yet that Matthijs de Ligt is edging closer to a comeback, with the influential centre-back targeting a March return after two months sidelined by persistent back problems.

The 26-year-old Dutch defender has not featured since early December, watching from the stands as the Red Devils have fought their way through 15 consecutive matches without him. Sources close to the player stress that De Ligt is refusing to rush the rehabilitation process, opting instead for a cautious, methodical approach designed to ensure he is fully fit for the season’s decisive stretch.

Tyrone Marshall of the Manchester Evening News reports that the former Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich stalwart has now pencilled in next month as his provisional comeback window. While no exact date has been locked in, the club’s medical staff are understood to be comfortable with the progress being made, and the player himself has stepped up on-field workload in recent sessions.

United’s re-entry into the Champions League conversation under interim boss Michael Carrick has added urgency to the defensive reinforcements. With European qualification likely to hinge on fine margins between now and May, the reappearance of a defender who has already started 13 matches this season would represent a significant boost.

De Ligt’s numbers prior to the setback underline his importance: across those 13 starts he averaged 2.7 combined tackles and interceptions per match, cleared the ball 5.2 times per game and was dribbled past only 0.5 times on average, underlining the composure and authority he brings to the back line.

At 26 and in the prime of his career, the Netherlands international’s impending return could not be better timed for a squad seeking consistency at the business end of the campaign. United will hope the wait lasts only a few more weeks before De Ligt is once again anchoring the heart of their defence.

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