When the international break finally releases its grip on the Premier League calendar, club managers tend to brace themselves. The calls from national team doctors rarely bring cheer, and Manchester United have already absorbed more than their fair share of bad news this autumn.
Yet amid the familiar procession of withdrawals, scans, and anxious updates, Michael Carrick has been handed something unusual: a genuine reason to be optimistic. Carlos Baleba, the £70 million midfielder who has yet to kick a competitive ball in a United shirt, is ready. So, remarkably, is Matthijs de Ligt. With Tottenham Hotspur next up at Old Trafford in what already feels like a pivotal fixture, the timing could hardly be better.
A friendly in the family
This club hiatus has dragged on so long, three weeks without competitive action, that United found room to stage a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport. The Swiss side sits under the same INEOS ownership umbrella, making the fixture as much a family gathering as a fitness exercise.
On paper, it was housekeeping. Carrick could hand minutes to academy prospects, give a run-out to the handful of senior players not away with their national teams, and test two of the club’s most regular visitors to the treatment room in a controlled setting.
In practice, it became the most encouraging afternoon of his autumn. Lausanne, currently rooted to the bottom of the Swiss topflight, offered exactly the kind of forgiving opposition a coach wants when easing players back into the rhythm of matches. There were no points at stake, no crowds and no pressure. Both Baleba and De Ligt came through.
Baleba’s long wait
For Baleba, the friendly marked the end of a frustrating opening chapter at Old Trafford. The Cameroon international arrived from Brighton in a deal worth up to £70 million ($92.5 million), one of the headline moves of United’s summer. He was signed to bring energy, ball-winning and drive to a midfield that has too often lacked all three.
Instead, he has watched. When he was finally deemed fit enough for the matchday squad, named among the substitutes for the trip to Fulham on the eve of the break, he stayed on the bench as his new teammates toiled to a 1–1 draw at Craven Cottage.
Carrick has said the 22-year-old is “pushing to get back as quickly as possible.” Against Lausanne, the coach finally had the chance to let him off the leash, and the evidence suggests Baleba is now ready for the real thing.
If he features against Spurs, he would become the fifth player to make his United debut under Carrick. Tyler Fletcher was blooded in last season’s Old Trafford meeting with Tottenham, while recent recruits Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow have already made their bows this term.
A fixture made for first appearances
There would be a pleasing symmetry in Baleba starting his United career against the north Londoners. Spurs have a curious habit of turning up on debut days.
Chido Obi made his senior bow away at Tottenham in February 2025. On the opening weekend of 2015/16, five Reds made their first competitive appearances for the club against the same opponents: Matteo Darmian, Memphis Depay, Sergio Romero, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Go further back, and the list grows grander still. Bryan Robson, Martin Buchan and Johnny Giles all began their United journeys against Spurs. Baleba would be in illustrious company.
De Ligt’s road back
If Baleba’s absence has been frustrating, De Ligt’s has been closer to an ordeal. The Dutch centre-back is approaching a full year on the sidelines. His last competitive appearance came in November 2025, when Ruben Amorim was still in the dugout.
A persistent back problem eventually required surgery in May, ending any hope of a place at this summer’s World Cup. He returned to first-team training in recent weeks, and the Lausanne run-out took his rehabilitation up another level.
When he will be ready for competitive action remains unclear. The Manchester Evening News suggests he could be in contention as early as the Spurs game. After so long away, though, Carrick will be wary of rushing a player whose body has repeatedly let him down.
The cost of the break
Not everything has gone Carrick’s way. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both pulled out of the England squad before a ball had been kicked. An ongoing hip problem was given as the reason for Rashford’s absence, while Mainoo’s withdrawal went unexplained.
Benjamin Šeško never even reached Slovenia’s camp after a nagging shin injury recurred at the end of September. The striker insisted he was already working to return as soon as possible, for both clubs and country.
A left-back crisis
Then some did report for international duty and may now regret it. In a cruel twist for Carrick, two of his potential options at left back were both forced off during the window.
Patrick Dorgu lasted only 30 minutes against Wales last weekend before pulling up with a hamstring complaint; Noussair Mazraoui collapsed in a heap against Lesotho after attempting an awkward tackle he could not complete.
The versatile pair are back at Carrington under the care of United’s medical staff. Every effort is being made to have them available for Spurs, but neither can be counted on.
A must-win, with new weapons
The visit of Tottenham now carries real weight. United’s sluggish start, capped by that stodgy draw at Fulham, has left little margin for error, and a home defeat to a direct rival would turn murmurs of concern into something louder. That is why Baleba’s return matters so much. A fresh, hungry midfielder bought to set the tempo could be exactly the jolt Carrick’s side needs. If De Ligt is also fit to rejoin the defensive rotation, United would suddenly look a little less threadbare.
International breaks usually leave clubs counting their losses. This time, as the smoke clears, Carrick can at least count two significant gains. Whether they arrive in time to rescue United’s autumn may become clear when Spurs come to town.
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