Baleba Ruled Out of Manchester Derby and More
Michael Carrick will have to keep waiting for Carlos Baleba.
The 22-year-old midfielder, signed this summer in a £70 million deal, is not expected to feature for Manchester United until after the upcoming international break, extending a frustrating start to his Old Trafford career.
Baleba ruled out of derby and more
Baleba, the club’s third midfield recruit of the window and fourth senior signing after Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, arrived with the expectation of adding power and drive to Carrick’s midfield. Instead, an injury picked up earlier in the summer has kept him sidelined while the season has kicked into gear.
While Santos and Tielemans both made their full debuts on the opening day against Hull, Baleba has been confined to the treatment room. There had been optimism that the Cameroonian might target the Manchester derby for his return.
That hope has faded.
According to Manchester Evening News journalist Tyrone Marshall, Baleba will not be available for the clash with Manchester City. The report also indicates he is set to miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against former club Brighton, as well as next Sunday’s Premier League trip to Fulham.
The upshot: no Baleba until after the extended international break, with October pencilled in as the realistic return window. Internally, eyes are already drifting towards the Premier League meeting with Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October as a potential stage for his long-awaited introduction.
Carrick’s midfield puzzle
Baleba’s absence has left Carrick working with a thinner set of options than planned in the opening weeks.
Right now, the head coach leans on a partnership of Kobbie Mainoo and Tielemans in the middle of the pitch, with Santos the main alternative from the bench. It’s a pairing that offers guile and passing angles, but not a great deal of raw power.
Santos, on paper the only true enforcer available, has found himself left out of the starting XI as Carrick prioritises control and technical quality. The trade-off is obvious: United gain creativity, but lose a physically dominant presence capable of carrying the ball through traffic and winning duels on the turn.
That is exactly why Baleba was targeted, and why his absence is being felt before he has even kicked a ball for the club.
The missing piece
United did not hand Baleba a five-year contract with a short-term view. The plan is clear: grow a midfielder who can anchor and energise the side for the next decade.
His profile fits the gap. A powerful runner, aggressive in the challenge, comfortable driving forward with pace and strength – the sort of midfielder who can change the rhythm of a game with one surge through the centre. Right now, Carrick’s side lacks that gear.
Supporters know it. They can see Mainoo and Tielemans knitting play together, but they can also see the space where a force like Baleba should be, turning tidy possession into something far more explosive.
That is why so many are already talking about one thing: the day Baleba finally steps in alongside Mainoo.
United will have to navigate City, Brighton and Fulham without their big summer midfield investment. When October arrives, the question will be simple: does Baleba walk straight into Carrick’s XI and start reshaping this team, or will his impact have to build as slowly as his comeback?
