Updates On Matthijs De Ligt And Joshua Zirkzee

Man Utd interim manager Michael Carrick has revealed that Matthijs de Ligt is still a “couple of weeks” away from returning to match fitness.

The Dutchman has not played since the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in late November due to a back problem, and asked whether de Ligt would be available for selection soon, Carrick replied:

“Hopefully, yeah. He had a bit of a setback initially before I arrived, I think, only small. Not so much a setback, I think it was just a little bit slower than initially hoped, but he’s certainly getting closer.”

“But, hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, without putting an exact timeline on it, he’ll be back, and it’ll be great to have him back.”

Carrick’s remarks mean that De Ligt has been ruled out for the match against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, and he is unlikely to face Fulham next weekend either, as things stand.

Expected Return Date – Saturday 7th February vs Tottenham (h)

Joshua Zirkzee

When asked about the fitness of the Dutchman, Carrick gave the same timeframe as de Ligt, stating it would be at least a “couple of weeks” before he makes his comeback.

Zirkzee missed the Manchester derby last Saturday due to a knock. It is believed that the forward picked up an issue during the defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup, but no specifics about the injury have been provided.

Like his fellow countryman de Ligt, it looks like Zirkzee will be unavailable for the next two matches. Carrick does have plenty of options up front so it is fair to say that the Red Devils will cope without him.

Expected Return Date – Saturday 7th February vs Tottenham (h)

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