De Ligt nears return from 300-day absence to bolster Manchester United's defensive options

Matthijs de Ligt is on the verge of ending a 307-day absence from competitive football after the Manchester United centre-back is understood to have taken part in the club’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne Sport on Friday afternoon.

De Ligt last played for United in a Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace on November 30, a run of unavailability that stretched far beyond initial expectations. Manager Ruben Amorim had originally suggested the Dutch defender would miss only a single game with a back complaint, but De Ligt was absent for the remainder of the season before undergoing surgery in May to resolve the problem.

With the majority of United’s senior squad away on international duty, a youthful side was fielded against Lausanne. The club confirmed that Carlos Baleba, Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha were involved, though De Ligt was not mentioned — a deliberate omission consistent with United’s policy of avoiding premature timelines for players returning from long-term injuries.

There had already been encouraging signs ahead of the international break. De Ligt travelled with the squad to London for United’s match at Fulham but was left out of the matchday squad by prior agreement, with the trip designed to reintegrate him into the team environment rather than push him into action before he was ready.

The Lausanne friendly served as a final fitness test — an opportunity to assess whether De Ligt could come through a match without pain. Whether he passed that test is likely to become clearer when United face Tottenham at Old Trafford on October 10, with interim head coach Michael Carrick expected to provide an update at his pre-match press conference.

Even if De Ligt is cleared to take a place on the bench against Spurs, a gradual reintegration is anticipated. Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire currently form United’s first-choice centre-back partnership, with Leny Yoro and academy product Ayden Heaven also providing cover, meaning there is no pressure to rush the 25-year-old back into the starting lineup before he has fully regained his sharpness.