Man United injury latest: Matthijs de Ligt's chances of returning this season are dwindling due to "chronic" back problem

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt's back injury is "chronic" and there is still "no known return date" for the Dutchman, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

De Ligt has not represented Man United for almost five months, missing the team's last 19 Premier League matches, due to a troublesome back injury.

The 26-year-old has been close to resuming training on several occasions this year, but he has been forced to pull back each time due to ongoing pain in the area.

Man United head coach Michael Carrick admitted at the end of last month that De Ligt could be unavailable for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

“Honestly, it's difficult to say. I think it's just because it's taken that much time," Carrick told reporters when asked whether De Ligt would return before the end of the season.

De Ligt has been missing for Man United since November

"Yeah, I can't give you any more on it, really. It's one of those things with backs that, sometimes, you think it's alright and then, all of a sudden, it's not quite right.

"So, we're just kind of being patient and working through it, and we'll just have to see. We’ll obviously give him time and try to get him back as quickly as we can. But it's really difficult to say. I am not trying to hide anything. Literally, at the moment, we don't know, so we'll have to wait and see.

“It's like any injury. It’s trying to get the balance right. Some are a little bit more straightforward than others. Yeah, it's kind of it is what it is, really. Hopefully, listen, he's improving. It's not improving as quickly as we all hope, but we'll see how it goes.”

A recent report claimed that De Ligt was still hopeful of being back on the field before the season concludes, but Jacobs has branded the injury "chronic".

"There is no known return date for him. from what I know it is a bit chronic so can come and go," Jacobs told The United Stand.

De Ligt is unlikely to return for Man United this season

De Ligt had been one of Man United's best performers in the early stages of the season, and his absence has been a major blow for the 20-time English champions.

Man United have six more league matches before the end of the campaign, facing Chelsea on Saturday night, before tackling Brentford on April 27.

On May 3, Man United will host Liverpool before heading to Sunderland on May 9, and their final two matches of the season will then be against Nottingham Forest on May 17 and Brighton & Hove Albion on May 24.

Considering the amount of time that De Ligt has been out, and the fact that the league campaign ends in little over a month, it is incredibly difficult to imagine the centre-back featuring this term.

De Ligt's chances of making the Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup are also all but over, but there is a hope that he will be able to return to action for pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Man United have a centre-back crisis for Saturday's clash against Chelsea, with both Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire missing alongside De Ligt through suspension.