Manchester United have confirmed that defender Matthijs de Ligt has undergone surgery to address a persistent back injury. The 26-year-old Netherlands international has not played since November and will miss the upcoming World Cup.
De Ligt, who had returned to training last month in the hope of playing again this season, ultimately required a corrective procedure. In an emotional statement on Instagram, he said: 'After 6 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 6 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.'
The club described the surgery as successful, adding that the decision was made after De Ligt diligently worked through his rehabilitation. He told the club website: 'Since November I have done everything, pushing myself in every session and exploring every option, to get back to doing what I love, playing football.'
De Ligt made 14 appearances for United this season before being sidelined. Manager Michael Carrick had previously noted the difficulty in predicting a return date, stating: 'With backs sometimes you think it's all right and all of a sudden it's not quite right. We're just being patient and working through it.'
