Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Carlos Baleba is one of the four standout first-team Manchester United players who can capitalise on the downtime from the impact of the October international break.
The former Brighton midfielder was the final signing that Ineos made for Manchester United in the summer as part of a major rebuild of Michael Carrick’s midfield picks.
However, Carlos Baleba missed the tail end of the Red Devils’ summer tour and opening weeks of the 2026-27 Premier League season due to his pre-season injury.
With the Cameroon international now bouncing back from his ankle ligament injury, United In Focus has looked at three others who are in a similar camp to him.
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1. Carlos Baleba
Manchester United fans were teased that a Carlos Baleba debut is not that far away after the Red Devils’ last Premier League clash. Michael Carrick had hinted ahead of the visit to Craven Cottage that the 22-year-old Cameroonian talent could make his matchday squad for the Fulham encounter on Sunday evening.
Baleba was on the bench for United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, but Red Devils boss Carrick opted not to bring the former Brighton ace on for the Premier League clash. However, all eyes are now on the Tottenham match in October and the three-week window is all but likely to ensure that Baleba is fit for his hotly anticipated debut.
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2. Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo has missed all seven of the Red Devils’ matches across all competitions in the 2026-27 campaign so far after his setback ahead of the new season. The 24-year-old Ivory Coast winger’s ankle injury, which was sustained in a training session, has left Carrick to rely on Bryan Mbeumo as his main pick for the right wing.
Just like Carlos Baleba, Amad Diallo is now positioned to benefit from the extended October international break, allowing him time to return to full fitness for the first Premier League match back for United. There is a high chance that Amad will make the bench at a bare minimum for the Premier League clash against Tottenham on 10th October.
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Bruno Fernandes embodied Manchester United disaster by sprinting just once vs Fulham
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3. Matthijs de Ligt
At this point, it’s all about when Matthijs de Ligt will return rather than if he will return for Man Utd this season. The newly formatted October international break is perfect for the 27-year-old Netherlands international because it chips away at the number of days in his rehabilitation programme.
Carrick has continued to provide updates on Matthijs de Ligt’s road to recovery after his injury has not seen the Dutchman play football for United since Ruben Amorim was in charge. But with back surgery done in the summer and dabbling his foot in United first-team training in recent weeks, the former Ajax and Bayern Munich defender will benefit from the time to recover before a potential return to action in 2026.
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4. Benjamin Sesko
Just when it seemed that Benjamin Sesko was primed to pick up some momentum, United manager Carrick delivered a frustrating update ahead of the Fulham match. Benjamin Sesko’s shin problem from last season had once again caught up with him and ruled the 23-year-old Slovenian striker out of the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday evening.
Sesko missed pre-season due to his setback from the 2025-26 Premier League campaign and had been playing catch-up after missing pre-season in the summer. The October international break provides some breathing room for the Slovenia international to recover from his latest injury ahead of a potential return against Tottenham.