Defender has not played in six months and the injury setback also means he will miss the World Cup
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has undergone surgery on his back injury and it will keep him out of the early stages of next season.
The 26-year-old has not featured for United since their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in November, despite initially being expected to return quickly. Former United manager Ruben Amorim had previously described the issue as minor, but the defender’s recovery became increasingly complicated over recent months.
United have confirmed that De Ligt successfully had surgery after six months of rehabilitation efforts failed to resolve the problem. The club added that he is expected to return during the opening months of the 2026-27 campaign.
The injury setback also means the Netherlands international will miss his country’s 2026 World Cup campaign. De Ligt’s most recent appearance for Netherlands came in a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on 17 November.
De Ligt expressed his disappointment on social media at being sidelined for such a lengthy period.
“After six months of treatment and working hard to get back, surgery was the only option left,” De Ligt wrote. “I’m disappointed I couldn’t help the team the last six months and obviously missing out on the World Cup, but I am looking forward to doing everything to get back in front of the fans and feeling better again.”
The former Juventus and Bayern Munich defender had returned to light training at United’s Carrington training ground last month under the supervision of the club’s medical staff. Interim coach Michael Carrick had suggested there was still hope De Ligt could feature again before the end of the season, although he stressed the club would avoid rushing his recovery.
De Ligt had been a key figure in United’s campaign before suffering the injury, playing every minute of the club’s Premier League season up to that point. His performances also earned him the club’s player of the month award for November.
“I am grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout a difficult period in my career,” De Ligt said on United’s website. “I remain as determined as ever to represent Manchester United and play in front of our incredible supporters as soon as possible.”
