Carlos Baleba made his first appearance for Manchester United on Friday afternoon in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Carrington, with Tottenham due at Old Trafford on October 10. The midfielder, who joined from Brighton and Hove Albion in a £70million package, got his first runout as United try to steady an uneven start to the 2025-26 season.
Baleba's first runout at Carrington
Baleba played in the secret friendly against Lausanne, which United won 2-1. Michael Carrick said Baleba had been "pushing to get back as quickly as possible".
The move mattered because Baleba was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw at Fulham before the international break. His debut does not change the competitive picture yet, but it does give United another senior option before a home meeting with Tottenham.
De Ligt adds to the lift
The same game also brought a return for Matthijs de Ligt, who started in central defence and made his first appearance since November last year. That was the more eye-catching part of the day, because United have spent too long waiting for key defenders to come back into the mix.
United are 12th after five league matches, with a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses. Tottenham are bottom with 0 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses, so the fixture on October 10 gives United a chance to make the most of any improvement in availability.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
