Matthijs de Ligt’s return was meant to offer Manchester United a measure of reassurance. Instead, the Dutch defender’s first start after 326 days out became another uncomfortable marker of the club’s present troubles, as Como ran away with a 4-0 victory and extended United’s winless sequence to seven matches.
A long road back to the United side
De Ligt had not played for United since completing the match in the comeback against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, when Rúben Amorim was still in charge. A back injury then removed him from the picture for almost 11 months.
The 26-year-old initially pursued non-surgical treatment, but after months without the required progress he underwent an operation. Since November, he said, he had exhausted every avenue in an attempt to get back on the pitch.
“I have put everything into this since November,” De Ligt said. “Every training session and every option was about returning to the game I love. I am grateful to everyone who has stood by me through a difficult spell, and I remain determined to represent Manchester United and play in front of our supporters again as soon as possible.”
- De Ligt began reintegrating with the first-team group in recent weeks.
- He was an unused substitute against Atlético Madrid and Leeds.
- Michael Carrick selected him from the start against Como, partnering Harry Maguire at centre-back.
- Lisandro Martínez and Lenny Yoro were passed over for the role.
Carrick’s faith meets a harsh first examination
Before kick-off at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, Carrick spoke warmly of De Ligt’s progress. The manager said the defender had travelled a long way during a patient rehabilitation and had trained well for several weeks.
“It is great to have him back,” Carrick said. “He has had to work hard and wait for his chance. He is fit, ready and has been training for a number of weeks, so his condition is in a good place.”
But fitness in training and match sharpness are not always neighbours, particularly after such a long absence. United’s defence was overwhelmed, and De Ligt was caught in the middle of a difficult afternoon for the whole side.
Como expose United’s lack of control
De Ligt recorded only two defensive actions and two recoveries. He did not contest a ground duel, won one of his two aerial challenges and committed no fouls. It was not a quiet game at his end; rather, he repeatedly found himself unable to arrive in time.
- For Como’s second, Douvikas made his run off Nico Paz and left De Ligt behind with feints and changes of direction.
- De Ligt could not get across to provide cover as Nico Paz made it 3-0.
- Jacobo Ramón then headed in the fourth from close range, with United’s defending again badly exposed.
Peter Schmeichel felt the decision to start De Ligt had made the lack of rhythm plain. “He was picked despite not having played a minute since November of last season, and naturally that showed,” the former United goalkeeper said after the match.
De Ligt was visibly involved in several of the goals, but he was also the player least equipped to carry the blame. A defender returning from 326 days away was always likely to need time, and United’s need to call on him so quickly said plenty about the shortage of solutions confronting Carrick.
A career still searching for its promised peak
The setback is another sobering chapter for a player once regarded as Europe’s outstanding young centre-back. De Ligt left Ajax in the summer of 2019, following their run to the Champions League semi-finals, for €85.5 million — then a record fee for a defender.
He had won the Golden Boy award in 2018 and has since moved a combined €197.5 million in transfer fees, more than any other defender. Yet spells at Juventus, Bayern Munich and now Manchester United have not delivered the sustained authority expected of him, with injuries playing a major part in that stalled rise.
His return remains important for United. The Como match, however, showed that recovery from surgery and recovery of match pace are very different jobs.
