What does the future hold for Matthijs de Ligt?

It has been over 250 days since Matthijs de Ligt last suited up for the Red Devils.

After the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in November 2025, De Ligt showed up on the injury list with what was originally classified as a knock.

Few Manchester United fans could’ve anticipated that the knock would turn into a severe back injury, one that lingered long enough to keep him sidelined for the entirety of Michael Carrick’s 2025-26 tenure and eventually required surgery. 

Now, he seems to be inching toward a long-awaited return after almost a whole year of recovery. De Ligt returned to team training ahead of the preseason friendly against Leeds United. Even though his return date is still unknown, it’s a piece of news fans had been waiting on for quite some time.

But a few questions remain: Can he stay fit? And if he stays fit, will he return to his old self? Will he start the majority of United’s games?

Supporters are hoping that he can overcome his lengthy injury history and help anchor United’s defense as he did briefly under Ten Hag and Amorim, and as he did at an even higher level for Juventus and Bayern Munich. But since 2020, De Ligt has missed 84 games for club and country due to a variety of injuries. 

Even if he does stay fit, will he be able to perform like the defender who won the Golden Boy award in 2018, the Scudetto in 2019-20 and the Bundesliga title in 2022-23?

Matthijs de Ligt just turned 27 years old and sits at a market value of around £25 million according to Transfermarkt. Just a few years ago, the defender was valued at £55 million. He posted a FotMob rating of 7.27 for the 43 games he played in his 2022-23 season with Bayern, the highest of his career.

In 2023-24 though, that rating dropped to 6.99 presumably due to his injury struggles, as De Ligt only appeared in 30 matches. United’s collective struggles during the 2024-25 season likely weighed down the 6.79 rating he received for his first 42 matches as a Red Devil, while his 6.93 rating last season came from a small sample size of just 14 appearances.

With a brand-new back post-surgery, a brand-new manager and preseason momentum, Carrick will have a plethora of options at the right-center back position if De Ligt can stay fit. Ultimately, it’d be tough for him to overlook the authority, physical presence and leadership De Ligt provides to the back line. United can comfortably rotate Maguire and De Ligt for Premier League matches and Champions League fixtures, while Leny Yoro could likely see starts in EFL Cup and FA Cup matches.

Having captained Ajax at such a young age and competed across multiple top-flight leagues with Champions League experience, De Ligt also offers mentorship for United’s next generation of central defenders, Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro. 

But at 27-years-old, he’s still got some juice left to give and has a clean slate in front of him. If his body can handle the demands of a full Premier League season, he has a chance to reassert himself as one of the best defenders in England.