Manchester United's Carlos Baleba: Injury Delay for £70 Million Midfield Signing
Manchester United will have to wait to unleash their £70 million midfield signing.
Carlos Baleba’s move from Brighton was wrapped up on Tuesday, billed as the final, dynamic piece in a rebuilt Manchester United engine room. Yet before he has even pulled on the shirt, Michael Carrick has had to park the excitement.
The 22-year-old Cameroon international arrived with an ankle problem that will sideline him for around three weeks, ruling him out of Sunday’s Premier League opener at Old Trafford against promoted Ipswich – and likely a couple of fixtures beyond that.
“He’s got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks,” Carrick said, playing down any sense of alarm. United knew about the injury before completing the deal and see it as a delay, not a derailment. “It’s no major issue but it’ll be great to have him back when we can.”
Big price, bigger expectations
United’s hierarchy have not hidden their belief in Baleba. Director of football Jason Wilcox has already labelled him “an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further”, and the fee alone underlines how central the club expect him to become.
Baleba joins Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans as part of a summer midfield overhaul, with Carrick intent on reshaping the balance and personality of his side after a dismal start. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at play-off winners Hull was a jolt – a nightmare opening that sharpened the need for fresh energy and different options in the middle of the pitch.
That is exactly where Carrick sees Baleba changing the picture.
“We’re delighted to have Carlos,” the United manager said. “Huge potential, massive potential. I think he’s a really exciting signing for us. The quality that he has, the attributes that he has, that offsets a little bit of the balance of the group that we’ve got. Different strengths, different combinations.”
Carrick is not just talking about depth. He is talking about variety – a different profile to plug into a midfield that has often looked one-paced and predictable.
“So, for us to have that, absolutely delighted to have him. I think there’s so much more to come from him as well, which with the player that he already is with that little bit more to come is exciting for us.”
Debut circled on the calendar
Baleba’s ankle issue had already cost him Brighton’s Conference League fixtures and their Premier League opener. Now, Carrick’s three-week estimate points towards a potential debut with a sharp narrative edge: against his former club.
United host Brighton in the Carabao Cup before travelling to Fulham on September 20, their final outing before the international break. After that pause, Tottenham visit Old Trafford on October 10. Somewhere in that run lies the likely window for Baleba’s first appearance in red.
Carrick refused to draw a firm line on the calendar when pressed on whether Baleba – and fellow absentee Amad Diallo – could return before the three-week international break.
“It’s obviously new, the break to deal with, but we’ll wait and see,” he said. “We’re hopeful but I don’t want to put any deadlines on it just yet.”
Amad, he confirmed, will be missing for longer. “Amad won’t be involved this week. He’ll be out for a little bit longer. Mase (Mason Mount) is back around the group, which was great. Trained this week, so that’s a big positive for us.”
Mount’s return offers one boost in a midfield department that has been rebuilt on paper but is still waiting to come together on the pitch.
Response required after Hull shock
The timing of Baleba’s setback is awkward. United badly need a reaction after the flat, error-strewn 2-0 defeat at Hull that opened their league campaign and immediately put Carrick under pressure to show that this squad really has moved on.
Marcus Rashford, given extra rest after his World Cup exertions, came on at half-time at Hull alongside Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo. All three sharpened United, but the damage was already done.
Now Carrick must pick a side to face Ipswich that shows both ruthlessness and faith.
“We’ve got a squad to choose from. We’ve got a good squad and we could pick a variety kind of combinations within the team,” he said. “We’ll pick a team for the weekend but, yeah, certainly the boys are massively in contention.”
For now, Baleba will watch that contest from the stands, the club’s most expensive new midfielder waiting for his first touch. The anticipation only grows. When he finally steps into the Old Trafford glare, will he be the catalyst this remodelled United midfield has been built around?
