Manchester United Defender Matthijs de Ligt Commences On-Field Rehabilitation Following Prolonged Back Injury

Apr 24, 2026, 15:04

Introduction

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has initiated individual training on grass as part of his recovery from a back injury that has kept him out of action since late November. The Dutch centre-back has not featured under new head coach Michael Carrick and remains unavailable for the upcoming Premier League fixture against Brentford.

Main Body

De Ligt sustained the injury during a 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace on 30 November and has been absent from matchday squads ever since. His rehabilitation has progressed to outdoor work at the club's Carrington training base, where he was observed performing light individual drills under the supervision of medical staff. The defender posted images of his session on social media with the caption 'Working hard, getting closer', indicating his focus on returning to full fitness. Carrick had previously acknowledged the complexity of the injury, describing it as 'proving difficult' and expressing uncertainty about whether de Ligt would feature again before the end of the season. The head coach noted that the player was undergoing a distinct treatment regimen involving gym-based exercises and had not yet reached the stage of grass training at that time. As of the latest update, Carrick has not disclosed a specific timeline for de Ligt's return to competitive action. In addition to de Ligt's situation, the club provided updates on several other players. Lisandro Martinez will miss the Brentford match due to suspension, while Harry Maguire is set to return after serving a two-game ban. Leny Yoro, who missed the previous win over Chelsea with a minor knock, is being assessed and may be available, though Carrick stated that his participation is not yet confirmed. Patrick Dorgu continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring issue and is making progress toward rejoining team training. Carrick described the overall injury situation as stable, with only minor knocks and niggles emerging from the Chelsea match.

Conclusion

At present, de Ligt's return date remains unspecified, but his progression to outdoor training indicates a positive step in his rehabilitation. Manchester United will face Brentford without him, though the return of Harry Maguire from suspension offers some defensive reinforcement.

Vocabulary Learning

niggle (n.)
a minor pain, complaint, or problem小毛病；輕微不適
Example:Despite some niggles, the team's overall fitness level is good.
prolonged (adj.)
lasting for a long time or longer than usual長期的；持續很久的
Example:The player's prolonged absence from the team has been a concern for the coaching staff.
regimen (n.)
a prescribed course of medical treatment, diet, or exercise療程；養生法
Example:The doctor recommended a strict regimen of physiotherapy and rest.
rehabilitation (n.)
the process of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy康復；復健
Example:He is undergoing intensive rehabilitation to recover from his knee surgery.
reinforcement (n.)
additional personnel or equipment sent to support a military or other operation; here, additional support增援；加強
Example:The return of the defender provides much-needed reinforcement to the backline.

Sentence Learning

His rehabilitation has progressed to outdoor work at the club's Carrington training base, where he was observed performing light individual drills under the supervision of medical staff.
Passive Voice and Non-restrictive Relative Clause: The sentence employs the passive voice ('was observed') to shift focus to the subject's action, while the non-restrictive relative clause introduced by 'where' adds descriptive detail about the location and context.被動語態與非限制性關係從句：句子使用被動語態（'was observed'）將焦點轉移到主語的行動上，而由'where'引導的非限制性關係從句則增添了關於地點和背景的描述性細節。
The defender posted images of his session on social media with the caption 'Working hard, getting closer', indicating his focus on returning to full fitness.
Participial Phrase: The present participial phrase 'indicating his focus on returning to full fitness' functions as an adverbial modifier, providing additional information about the main clause and showing the purpose or result of the action.分詞短語：現在分詞短語'indicating his focus on returning to full fitness'用作狀語修飾語，為主句提供附加信息，表明動作的目的或結果。
Carrick had previously acknowledged the complexity of the injury, describing it as 'proving difficult' and expressing uncertainty about whether de Ligt would feature again before the end of the season.
Participial Phrases and Embedded Question: The sentence uses two coordinated participial phrases ('describing...' and 'expressing...') to elaborate on the verb 'acknowledged', and includes an embedded question ('whether de Ligt would feature again') within the second phrase, adding syntactic complexity.分詞短語與嵌入式疑問句：句子使用兩個並列的分詞短語（'describing...'和'expressing...'）來詳述動詞'acknowledged'，並在第二個短語中包含一個嵌入式疑問句（'whether de Ligt would feature again'），增加了句法複雜性。
Leny Yoro, who missed the previous win over Chelsea with a minor knock, is being assessed and may be available, though Carrick stated that his participation is not yet confirmed.
Non-restrictive Relative Clause and Concessive Clause: The sentence features a non-restrictive relative clause ('who missed...') providing background information, and a concessive clause introduced by 'though' that contrasts with the main clause, demonstrating complex clause coordination.非限制性關係從句與讓步從句：句子包含一個非限制性關係從句（'who missed...'）提供背景信息，以及一個由'though'引導的讓步從句，與主句形成對比，展示了複雜的從句協調。
Carrick described the overall injury situation as stable, with only minor knocks and niggles emerging from the Chelsea match.
Participial Phrase as Postmodifier: The participial phrase 'emerging from the Chelsea match' postmodifies the noun phrase 'minor knocks and niggles', functioning as a reduced relative clause and adding concise descriptive detail.分詞短語作後置修飾語：分詞短語'emerging from the Chelsea match'後置修飾名詞短語'minor knocks and niggles'，相當於簡化關係從句，增加了簡潔的描述性細節。