Tyrell Malacia: Severity of Man Utd defender's injury revealed

Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia has been nursing a long-term knee injury that has kept him out of action so far this season.

Malacia is yet to play in 2023/24, which forced the club into the transfer market late in the summer window when Luke Shaw picked up an injury – Sergio Reguilon arrived on loan from Tottenham Hotspur but has also since succumbed to an injury of his own.

The Dutchman had been a regular rotation option and deputy to Shaw in his debut season, making 39 appearances in all competitions – including 14 Premier League starts. But his last United game was against Fulham on the final day of the season in May, going on to be an unused substitute in the FA Cup final against Manchester City at the start of June.

Malacia hasn't played at club level since and missed all of pre-season, although he did feature during extra-time of Netherlands' UEFA Nations League semi-final against Croatia in mid-June.

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The Manchester Evening News has reported that Malacia suffered the troublesome knee injury last season, but it was initially being managed with painkiller injections. However, the decision was eventually made that he would require more serious medical intervention with surgery.

Malacia was allowed some time to recuperate in his native Netherlands but has returned to Manchester and is now believed to be on course to fit again before the end of 2023.

The return of Malacia and others cannot come soon enough for United boss Erik ten Hag, who has been plagued by defensive injuries in the opening two months of the campaign. Lisandro Martinez is not expected to play again before 2024, while Raphael Varane has had a couple of spells out this season already, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka has also been sidelined in addition to Shaw and Reguilon.

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