Matthijs de Ligt closer to Man Utd return

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt is edging closer to a return to action after travelling with the squad for the Champions League tie away to Atlético de Madrid.

The Dutch international has not featured for United in 11 months, having last played in the 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park back when Ruben Amorim was still in charge of the club.

A back injury initially looked to only be a 'minor' back issue for the 27-year-old but his slow recovery eventually required surgery.

De Ligt has been training with the first team at Carrington this season and did travel with the squad for the 1-1 draw away to Fulham before the international break. However, since then De Ligt has been reported to have started in a behind-closed-doors friendly as he works his way back up to fitness.

The former Ajax and Juventus man initially joined United from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024 and has since featured 56 times for the club in all competitions, chipping in with three goals.