Carlos Baleba Steps Up Manchester United Return in Lausanne-Sport Friendly
Carlos Baleba has taken his first steps towards a Manchester United debut after playing in a behind-closed-doors match against Lausanne-Sport at Carrington on Friday.
Baleba returns to the pitch
The 22-year-old midfielder featured alongside first-team players including Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha in the private fixture against the fellow INEOS-owned Swiss club.
It was Baleba’s first unofficial outing since his £70 million ($93m) move from Brighton in August. An ankle injury suffered during pre-season with his former club has prevented him from making a competitive appearance for United.
He was included among the substitutes for the 1-1 draw with Fulham before the international break, but was not brought on as the club continued to manage his recovery.
Michael Carrick had said Baleba was working hard to return, with the United head coach stating that the summer signing was determined to get back as soon as possible.
United injury picture worsens
Baleba’s return is a timely lift for Carrick, whose options have been further reduced during the international window.
- Noussair Mazraoui went off injured for Morocco against Lesotho in the Africa Cup of Nations after landing awkwardly following a 68th-minute challenge.
- Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both left the England squad because of fitness problems.
- Amad Diallo, Benjamin Sesko and Patrick Dorgu are also dealing with new injury concerns.
- Bruno Fernandes overcame a shin issue described as complicated and started Portugal’s 4-2 win over Denmark.
Mazraoui immediately signalled towards the bench after his awkward fall, raising another concern for United’s medical department ahead of the domestic restart.
Tottenham deadline approaches
United host Tottenham at Old Trafford on October 10, with Carrick facing a major race to restore numbers to his squad before the high-pressure fixture.
Baleba will need to come through further work without any reaction in his ankle, but his Carrington appearance puts him in contention to finally make his competitive United bow against the north London side.
