De Ligt's back problem at Man Utd may have roots in 'untreated' injury as he fights for future

Matthijs de Ligt's back problem could have its roots in an injury at Juventus that went untreated as he fights to get his Manchester United career back on track.

Exact details of the defender's injury have been a mystery with neither the player or the club giving specific information about what happened.

All we know is that he went from expecting to miss a game to losing the rest of the season.

De Ligt now says “surgery was the only option left” having gone under the knife to finally resolve a back issue that has kept him out for six months.

The defender has been suffering from a back problem and if we look back over his career, he has had a lot of injuries over his career so far.

And these have included with his back, or more specifically with his shoulder.

During his time at Juventus, De Ligt suffered a recurring shoulder injury.

He frequently played through severe pain with his shoulder heavily taped, delaying a much-needed surgery for almost a year until August 2020.

De Ligt was praised as a "warrior" in the Italian press for the way he continued to play until he eventually had surgery that kept him out for three months.

Dutch analysts at the time pointed out that compensating for a weak shoulder often forces a athlete to alter their running posture and core mechanics, which can later trigger lower-back and hip strain.

And sports scientists in the Netherlands have also pointed to the strain on his body from breaking into the first team at just 17 with Ajax - before his skeleton and muscular frame was fully developed.

There has been a lot of strain on his body which has been intensified by the way he plays.

His explosive, high-pressing, and physical style of defending requires immense rotational strength and torso stability.

Pundits in his home country have often remarked that his aggressive jumping and tackling style naturally place immense stress on his spine and core.

The 26-year-old made a strong start to what quickly turned into a nightmare campaign, having been unable to feature since a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the end of November.

De Ligt worked on the grass last month as he stepped up his rehabilitation, but United confirmed he has now undergone a “corrective procedure” that has ended his season and World Cup ambitions.

The club say the Netherlands international now begins “a new phase of his recovery and is expected to return for United in the early stages of the 2026-27 season”.

De Ligt posted a photo in a hospital bed with a thumb up alongside the Instagram caption: “After six months of treatment and working hard to get back, surgery was the only option left.

“I’m disappointed I couldn’t help the team the last six months and obviously missing out on the World Cup but I am looking forward to doing everything to get back in front of the fans and feeling better again.”

A lot now depends on how successful has been the surgery and if he can get back, consistently, to his best.

He still has time on his hands. Earlier this season, before his injury, he said: "I feel I'm coming into my prime age now, I think as a defender aged 29. 30, 31 you are at your best.

"I think I've experienced a lot in my career and I feel I can now use this as an advantage and hopefully I can keep continuing this way.

"I think the most important thing in general for a defender is to be consistent, for me it is important to do the things the way I do. and stay fit which is also very important."

Also tellingly he told how at the start of the season he was more "aggressive" as he was "confident".

He explained: "This season I feel more aggressive because I feel more confident. Physically I feel like I'm in a really good place and when I'm physically in a good place I feel I can dominate attackers, with speed and strength."

Certainly the form he produced at the start of this season, shows that if he can stay fit then he can offer a lot for United over the coming years with his defensive abilities and also leadership as a natural successor to Harry Maguire.