Man Utd star finally has return date after 18 months out in injury nightmare

According to Metro, Tyrell Malacia is "very close" to making his comeback for Manchester United after nearly 18 months out of action.

The Dutch full-back was the first signing of Erik ten Hag's tenure in the summer of 2022 and had a strong debut season, starting 29 matches across all competitions.

Although Malacia did not travel with the United squad for their pre-season tour in the U.S., he has been spotted participating in first-team training this season. His absence has highlighted a significant challenge at left-back, particularly with Luke Shaw also facing an injury-plagued season and yet to play this term.

According to Voetbal International, Malacia's return is imminent. While he is not expected to be available for Saturday’s match against Brentford, the report indicates that he could be back on the pitch by the end of October or early November. This timeline suggests he may return for the away game against West Ham United on October 27, the home match against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on October 30, or the home fixture against Chelsea on November 3.

Ten Hag commented on Malacia’s progress last month, saying, “Of course, we want to motivate him to return, but it’s not so easy when you are so long away. Over a season now from an injury to return, but he’s working very hard; he’s progressing really well at this moment. He’s making big steps, so we think, at short notice, we can expect him in the team training, and he is a talent, it’s natural. I expect also, soon, he can return into games then.”

In Malacia's absence, Diogo Dalot has filled in at left-back for this season and much of the 2023-24 campaign. However, with Noussair Mazraoui also unavailable, Dalot is likely to switch back to his preferred right-back position this weekend. With neither Malacia nor Shaw ready for the visit of Brentford on Saturday, either Lisandro Martinez or Jonny Evans may need to step in to cover the left-back position.