Forget Baleba: Carrick Needs De Ligt Back ASAP to Save His Man Utd Job

· GiveMeSport

Forget Baleba, Michael Carrick needs another Man Utd star back in his lineup as soon as possible to save his job.

Manchester United felt as though they had a strong summer transfer window after upgrading their midfield options and welcoming Marcus Rashford back into the fold.

Michael Carrick saw Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Carlos Baleba added to his squad in deals worth a combined £150m, while veteran goalkeeper Karl Darlow and young winger Tynan Thompson also joined to add numbers.

But the Red Devils have started the season poorly, winning just one of their opening four games of the Premier League season, while they were also embarrassingly eliminated from the EFL Cup in midweek, dropping a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton to lose 3-2.

United have kept just one clean sheet so far this season, in the 4-0 win over Sabah in the Champions League . Their defensive openness has been a major problem, and many have pointed to the fact that £70m signing Baleba is yet to feature, having signed for the club with an ankle problem.

The Cameroon international is expected to make his debut after the international break, with the game against Tottenham Hotspur understood to be targeted for his return to action.

But in midfield, Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans have started the season fairly well as a partnership, keeping the ball well and trying to maintain some control. Once Baleba returns to fitness, it will be interesting to see who Carrick drops to make space for him.

However, that is the furthest thing from his biggest problem, and Carrick must be praying that defender Matthijs De Ligt is able to return to full fitness sooner rather than later in order to add some quality to his back line.

Currently, Carrick has opted for Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez as his first-choice pairing in the middle, with Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven providing back up. But with De Ligt understood to be edging towards fitness, after being unavailable since November 2025 due to a back injury, he could finally be set to get the all-clear to return to action.

Maguire has been a solid servant during his eight years at Old Trafford, but it's fair to say that he has never been good enough to be the main central defender at the club.

His early-season form has once again made that clear, but Carrick doesn't seem to fully trust Yoro with an extended run in the team. De Ligt is a powerful athlete who is dominant aerially just like the England international, but he's better on the ball and much more mobile.

If the manager wants experience rather than giving Yoro a chance to shine and an extended run of games, then De Ligt is the perfect option. His partnership with Martinez under Ten Hag was strong previously too, and as he returns to fitness, Carrick will be licking his lips at the prospect of a return to first-team action, as it will undoubtedly strengthen the defence, and potentially save his job.

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