Manchester United are set to travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in the Premier League this weekend.
According to journalist Laurie Whitwell, Carlos Baleba could be available for his Man United debut after returning to training this week.
However, the club figures also believe that it would be prudent to keep him at Carrington after his ankle injury rather than have him travel to play for Cameroon during the international break.
Baleba completed a £65 million transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion to Man United this summer.
He sustained an injury setback during pre-season with Brighton but the Red Devils were still eager to sign him.
Manager Michael Carrick has already made his admiration for Baleba clear, describing him as a “quality player” who can bring a completely different dimension to the United midfield.
United will head into a 20-day international break immediately after the Fulham clash, giving Baleba additional time to build up his fitness.
With that in mind, it may be wiser to unleash the £65 million signing against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on October 10.
The last thing United need is for their major summer acquisition to suffer another injury setback simply because the club tried to fast-track his return.
Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo are expected to form the midfield partnership against Fulham after Andrey Santos failed to make a strong impression against Brighton in midweek.
Carrick desperately needs three points, with United languishing in 13th place after four Premier League games.
Their Carabao Cup campaign also came to a premature end in the third round on Wednesday, meaning another defeat could pile even more pressure on the United head coach.
Stats from Fotmob.com
Related Topics