Erik ten Hag has finally provided an update on Tyrell Malacia’s fitness with the Manchester United defender expected to return to action for the Premier League giants in the coming weeks.
The disappointing thing, as far as Tyrell Malacia is concerned, is not just that he has been forced to watch on from the sidelines during the entirety of 2023/24 thanks to a knee injury he sustained late last term.
It’s that, with Luke Shaw also spending plenty of time in the treatment room, the Dutchman has missed out on the opportunity to establish himself in Erik ten Hag’s XI, Diogo Dalot and Sofyan Amrabat filling in on the left with very mixed results.
Furthermore, had Malacia not been out of action for so long, it’s unlikely that United would have signed Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur on deadline day.
The 24-year-old’s long-awaited return, then, is a case of ‘better late than never’, Ten Hag finally offering some insight into Malacia’s progress behind the scenes.
Tyrell Malacia back soon for Manchester United
“I think in mid-January, we expect many players back,” Ten Hag tells the Man United website. “Mason (Mount), Casemiro, (Lisandro) Martinez. Malacia. We expect Harry Maguire (back too), of course.
“We expect many players to return in January.”
Malacia joined United in a £12.9 million deal from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022. Combative and competitive, albeit while lacking Shaw’s supreme technical ability, the Rotterdam-born 24-year-old became something of a cult hero during a more-than respectable debut season with the Red Devils. Malacia ended the campaign with 39 appearances across all competitions.
Injury crisis easing
Dalot started at left-back last time out against Aston Villa, United coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 thanks to Rasmus Hojlund’s long-awaited first Premier League goal. Ten Hag, however, will hope to have Shaw back at his disposal from a muscle problem for Saturday’s trip to a resurgent Nottingham Forest.
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