Man United Injury Update: Latest on Matthijs De Ligt, Diogo Dalot and More | OneFootball

Man Utd Injury Update: De Ligt, Dalot and Zirkzee Setbacks Raise Doubts Before Bilbao Clash

At this point, injuries at Manchester United aren’t just an inconvenience—they’re practically a philosophy. You could field an eleven from the Carrington treatment room and still have a few on the bench. And so it continues, as United edge toward the sharp end of their European campaign, carrying a three-goal cushion to Old Trafford but limping into it in more ways than one.

Ruben Amorim’s side—still oddly disjointed and occupying the lower reaches of the Premier League table—have redirected their gaze to continental matters. Sunday’s chaotic 4-3 defeat to Brentford featured eight changes and even fewer answers, but the real damage may have come in the form of a limping Matthijs de Ligt, forced off early in what had looked like a careful reintegration.

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As the Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao looms, here’s the latest Man Utd injury update that paints a picture of cautious optimism, half-fit defenders, and a medical staff in constant motion.

De Ligt Injury Adds Fresh Uncertainty

There’s something unnervingly predictable about a player returning from injury, only to hobble off again minutes later. That was Matthijs de Ligt’s afternoon in a nutshell. After easing back with a substitute appearance in the first leg, the Dutchman was handed a start at Brentford—and didn’t even reach half-time.

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“I don’t know. We will see. I hope it’s nothing serious,” was Amorim’s response when asked about the severity of the setback. Which, in football-speak, roughly translates to: prepare for the worst and pretend you’re not.

Dalot Recovery Timeline Still Murky

Diogo Dalot is still a few weeks away from fitness, although nobody at Carrington seems entirely sure how many weeks that might be. The full-back has been absent for three matches with a calf issue, and the clock is ticking.

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“We don’t know how long he’s going to be out,” Amorim said. “There is that possibility [he could miss the rest of the season] but I don’t know, we will check week by week.”

There’s a certain resignation to the phrasing, as if everyone has silently agreed that ‘wait and see’ is less stressful than getting their hopes up.

Heaven and Collyer Make Slow Progress

Ayden Heaven, once a curious bright spark in United’s makeshift defence, has vanished from the matchday conversation just as quickly. After a return to the squad against Newcastle, he’s now firmly in the “not ready” camp, with no timeline attached and no clear explanation offered. In Amorim’s increasingly vague vocabulary, “not ready” might mean a week, or a season.

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Toby Collyer, at least, is trending in the right direction. The young midfielder has resumed individual training after a “small issue” and could feature against West Ham on 11 May. His absence has been less disruptive, but any extra body in the midfield is a welcome addition at this stage.

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Zirkzee and Martinez Ruled Out for the Season

If there’s one area of the squad that can’t afford any more bad news, it’s the attack—and yet here we are. Joshua Zirkzee’s hamstring injury, sustained during a sprint against Newcastle, has drawn a hard line under his campaign.

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“He’s not going to play more this season,” Amorim confirmed. “Let’s prepare him for the next one.”

It’s a blow not just to United’s immediate depth, but to the rhythm the young forward had started to develop. He was beginning to look like a genuine option up front—precisely the sort of development that tends to happen just before everything goes wrong.

Lisandro Martinez, meanwhile, remains on the long and winding road of ACL recovery. His absence has forced United into a revolving door of centre-backs, many of whom weren’t even playing in defence this time last year. August remains the vague target, but no one is betting the house on it.

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Final Thoughts

For all the tactical permutations and philosophical questions about Ruben Amorim’s system, the reality is simple: you cannot plan, build or sustain anything meaningful when the injury list reads like a squad list. As United head to Bilbao with one eye on glory and the other on the physio’s notes, this semi-final becomes less about control and more about endurance.

They may lead the tie, but they’re still chasing stability. And with a dozen players hanging in the balance, it’s not just silverware they’re playing for—it’s survival.