Matthijs de Ligt, Manchester United defender, aims to return to the field before the end of the current season, after a long absence due to injury, with the goal of regaining his fitness and participating with his national team in the 2026 World Cup.

The 26-year-old Dutch international defender has been out of the team since last November due to a back problem, despite initial estimates suggesting he would be absent for only one week, before the injury worsened significantly affecting his season.

According to the Mirror newspaper, De Ligt is currently working on recovering and returning as soon as possible, with his desire to enhance his chances of being included in the Netherlands national team list in the coming period.

De Ligt faces strong competition in the center-back position with his national team, with prominent names like Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Nathan Ake, and Stefan de Vrij.

At the club level, returning will not be easy either, given the impressive performance of Harry Maguire, alongside the continuous development of young defender Lenny Yoro, who got the chance to play to compensate for the absence of Lisandro Martinez due to injury.

Manchester is preparing to face Leeds United on Monday, April 13 at Old Trafford, in a match that will witness the absence of Maguire due to suspension, following his expulsion in the Bournemouth match that ended in a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium.