Manchester United announces De Ligt's return to training, aiming to avoid season-ending injury! World Cup hopes dashed, fighting for future.

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt shared photos of his personal training recovery, hinting he might still return to the pitch this season. The 26-year-old Dutch center-back last played on November 30 last year, after which he was sidelined long-term due to a back injury. Former coach Ruben Amorim initially said he would only miss one match, but five months have passed, and De Ligt has now missed 21 games.

This number will continue to grow. However, De Ligt has made some progress, returning to the grass at Carrington for light individual exercises. De Ligt posted photos of himself running and training with a ball, captioning: "Working hard, getting closer to the goal."

Manchester United teammates left encouraging comments, and the post received over 90,000 likes. Not only De Ligt himself, but Manchester United also confirmed the news on Friday. The club's statement on De Ligt stated: "He is focused on returning to full fitness."

However, Manchester United did not provide a specific timeline for De Ligt's return to the pitch. Typically, transitioning from individual training to match readiness may take about a month. For reference, teammate Patrick Doku resumed solo training on April 4 and has yet to return, expected to make his comeback earliest against Liverpool in early May.

If estimated similarly, De Ligt's season would still be over; Manchester United's final match is away to Brighton on May 24, exactly one month away. Moreover, the Dutchman's back injury is complex; he previously resumed training several times, with rumors of imminent return, but setbacks occurred, leading to further recovery periods.

De Ligt's season has been peculiar; before injury, his form was excellent, winning the club's Player of the Month in November, having played every minute of all Premier League matches. However, after injury, he missed all games. After such a long absence, whether he can play for Manchester United again this season remains highly doubtful.

This long-term injury has already ruled De Ligt out of the Netherlands national team, making him unavailable for this summer's World Cup. Before injury, De Ligt was already a fringe player in Ronald Koeman's Dutch squad; now, selection is even less likely.

Nevertheless, De Ligt certainly hopes to return this season to prove himself to Manchester United and fight for his future at the club. Manchester United has renewed the contract of 33-year veteran Harry Maguire, who occupies a similar position to De Ligt. Although De Ligt and Lisandro Martínez are considered Manchester United's ideal center-back pairing, their frequent injuries have rarely allowed them to play together.

Who can break through the defense formed by De Ligt and Lisandro? The answer is nobody! Because they hardly ever play together. Statistics show De Ligt played only 13 out of 33 Premier League games this season (39% availability), while Lisandro played 16 (48%). Such participation rates are clearly not typical for a primary center-back duo.

The center-back group seems numerous, but with veterans, youngsters, and injuries, this forces Manchester United to consider signing a new defender this summer. However, whether to buy a left-footed or right-footed center-back impacts De Ligt and Lisandro differently. Manchester United has recently been linked with several defenders, including Tottenham's Cristian Romero, Van de Ven, and Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi.

To prove he has a long-term future at Old Trafford, De Ligt must first overcome his injuries. During De Ligt's injury period, Manchester United has changed two coaches, and he has yet to play for new manager Michael Carrick.