Carrick confirms Carlos Baleba is 10-14 days from Manchester United debut after £70m move

Michael Carrick has confirmed that Carlos Baleba is 10 to 14 days away from making his Manchester United debut, with the £70 million summer signing from Brighton set to feature in the coming weeks as the club prepares for a busy fixture schedule.

United secured Baleba in late August as a direct replacement for veteran midfielder Casemiro, who departed the club this summer. The deal, worth an initial £65 million with a further £5 million in add-ons, brings the 22-year-old Cameroonian to Old Trafford after a productive season with Brighton in which he made 31 Premier League appearances, logging nearly 1,700 minutes of top-flight football.

Statistically, Baleba was one of the more industrious midfielders in the division last season, recovering the ball just over three times per game, winning an average of six duels per match, and contributing one interception and one tackle per outing for the Seagulls.

Based on the timeline Carrick outlined, Baleba’s most likely debut will come in the Premier League fixture against Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 20. However, should he be available at the midpoint of the recovery window, he could feature in the Carabao Cup on September 16 — a match that would see him face his former club Brighton. In an unusual quirk, Baleba’s last competitive appearance came in a 3-0 Brighton defeat to Manchester United on the final day of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Carrick also provided updates on two other injury absentees ahead of United’s trip to Everton this weekend. Mason Mount appears to have had a positive week in training, while Luke Shaw was pictured alongside club captain Bruno Fernandes at the training ground on Thursday, offering encouragement over the left-back’s fitness.

United head into the Everton fixture having won one and lost one of their opening two Premier League games — a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town followed a 2-0 opening-day defeat to Hull City at the MKM Stadium.