Unveiling the mystery behind De Ligt's back injury! Expected to be out for 4 days but hasn't recovered in 4 months, likely ending his season.

“Lisandro (Martinez) returns, Harry (Maguire) renews. For Manchester United's center-backs, today is a good day.” Manchester United's official social media posted last Tuesday. But don’t share that with Dutch center-back Matthijs de Ligt.

At that time, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Lenny Yoro, and Eden Haven were training at Carton House, 20 miles outside Dublin, Ireland, while De Ligt stayed alone in Manchester, maintaining fitness by walking near his home, waiting for an uncertain return date.

The 26-year-old De Ligt was omitted from Manchester United's 25-man training squad, indicating a very low likelihood of his return this season. Unlike De Ligt, Danish international Patrick Doku, though still unable to join full team training, was called up to travel with the squad.

According to Manchester United, Doku, who suffered a hamstring strain, has returned to training on grass. Therefore, while he certainly cannot participate in Manchester United's next Premier League match against Leeds, the coaching staff felt it necessary to bring him along for team training.

Doku injured his hamstring in January during Manchester United's victory over Arsenal, more than two months later than De Ligt's injury. However, the medical team clearly understood Doku's condition; he was expected to be sidelined for about 8 to 10 weeks before resuming training. This indeed happened, while De Ligt's situation is entirely different.

De Ligt is professional and has received proper treatment. Yet, like anyone dealing with a back injury, back problems are unpredictable. The injury might feel healed one day, but worsen the next. For a period, British media reported that De Ligt was about to resume team training, but it proved untrue.

De Ligt can only return to the pitch once his back can withstand the demands of training and match competition. BBC reported that if De Ligt feels well, he can train outdoors, but sometimes he feels discomfort and cannot practice. The situation can vary daily.

Since representing Manchester United in a 2-1 away win against Crystal Palace on November 30, De Ligt has not played again. That month, he was the team's Player of the Month, playing every Premier League match at that time. Former manager Ruben Amorim, after De Ligt missed the match against West Ham due to injury, called it a “minor issue,” expecting him to return against Wolves after 4 days.

That was Manchester United's plan then, but unfortunately, four months have passed, and De Ligt has not improved. Throughout his career, De Ligt has faced a new coach each season; during this injury period, Manchester United has already had three different managers.

Insiders stress that De Ligt remains optimistic and confident about returning before the season ends. But he also knows that even if he recovers, he will need a period of training to prepare for Premier League matches, and the number of remaining games is dwindling. There are currently 7 left, tomorrow it will be 6. De Ligt's World Cup dream is shattered, and his season is likely already over.

Last month, before Manchester United's 2-2 away draw with Bournemouth, when asked about the possibility of De Ligt undergoing surgery, manager Michael Carrick declined to discuss it. It is understood that De Ligt himself does not intend to take this approach.

Back surgery definitely requires months of recovery. Each case may differ, but it serves as a reference: in summer 2024, Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams underwent back surgery, recovered well, yet still took nearly four months to return. Other players have missed even longer periods after back surgery.

Last week, Carrick also described De Ligt's recent life at Carrington. “He is just undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. He didn’t come, while Patrick did, because Patrick’s recovery progress is a step ahead.”

When asked about De Ligt's specific treatment details, Carrick tried to lighten the serious mood with a joke: “You don’t want me to narrate his daily work routine, do you? Treatment methods and training approaches differ; he is clearly training in the gym, not yet ready for matches. Unfortunately, after an injury, you must go through this process. Sometimes progress is quick; sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned, and progress slows. He is currently working hard to overcome this, and we are doing our best to get him healthy.”