Carlos Baleba made his first appearance in a Manchester United shirt on Friday, having spent the first months of the season on the sidelines through injury. Baleba joined United in the summer on a permanent deal from Brighton, but has yet to make a first-team senior appearance for the club.
Injury and Return to Action
The midfielder suffered an ankle injury in the summer before completing a switch to Old Trafford from the Amex Stadium, but was named in the matchday squad for the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Fulham before the international break. However, Michael Carrick left Baleba on the bench as an unused substitute, and will now be hoping to feature when United face Tottenham Hotspur after the international break next weekend.
Friday's clash with Lausanne — a sister club of United's — marked a significant milestone in the Cameroon international's recovery, with Baleba having been working through a tailored training programme over recent weeks.
Senior and Youth Players Involved
Baleba was far from the only senior star involved in the behind closed doors match at Carrington, in a game United reportedly won 2-1, with those players absent from their national squads featuring. Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha were involved, while a host of young players also grabbed valuable game time, including Carrick's son Jacey, alongside Amir Ibragimov, Yuel Helafu and Victor Musa. Diego Leon and Enzo Kana-Biyik were also handed minutes.
The match also gave United a first-hand look at highly-rated prospect Sekou Kone, currently on loan at Lausanne, while the Swiss side also fielded former United defender Tyler Fredricson.
Injury Concerns Ahead of Tottenham Clash
United are back in Premier League action on October 10 when they host Tottenham at Old Trafford, with Carrick being forced to deal with several injury concerns during the international break. Bruno Fernandes had handed United an injury scare last week, but returned to the Portugal starting line-up to face Denmark in the Nations League on Thursday night.
Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from the England squad before the start of the international break, as did Benjamin Sesko for Slovenia and Karl Darlow for Wales. Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui have also handed United injury scares during the break after featuring for Denmark and Morocco, respectively, with the Red Devils expected to assess the duo's fitness over the coming days.
