Baleba debuts, De Ligt returns as United beat Lausanne 2-1 in private

📰 Manchester United beat Lausanne-Sport 2-1 in a closed-doors friendly at Carrington, with Baleba and De Ligt both starting. 📌 Key points ⚽ United beat Lausanne 2-1 in a closed-doors friendly during the break. 🧢 Baleba shook off his ankle injury to pull on a United shirt for the first time. 🩹 De Ligt played his first match since November 2025. 🏟️ The game was played behind closed doors at the Carrington training ground. 🗓️ Both are being mentioned as contenders for the squad against Tottenham on 10 October. 📝 What happened 🏟️ On 2 October, United used the international break to play a closed-doors friendly against Swiss club Lausanne-Sport, also part of the INEOS group. First-team players not called up for international duty lined up alongside academy players, and United won 2-1. 🧢 Carlos Baleba, signed from Brighton in the summer, had his debut delayed by an ankle injury he brought with him from before the move. He was on the bench against Fulham but did not get on, and started this game to play in a United shirt for the first time. 🩹 Matthijs de Ligt also started. He had not played since November 2025 because of a back injury and underwent surgery in May. Last Word on Sports noted it was his first match in around 11 months. Matheus Cunha and Harry Maguire also played, along with academy players Sekou Kone and Tyler Fredricson. 🗣️ Carrick had earlier said of Baleba that the club signed him because he is a very good player, and that he is particularly good at giving the midfield balance. The club are carefully managing both players' minutes to avoid a setback. 📊 By the numbers • Friendly result: Man Utd 2-1 Lausanne-Sport • Baleba fee: £70m (per The Peoples Person) • De Ligt out since: November 2025, around 11 months 🔭 Why it matters A poor start to the season combined with injuries had left United short of options. Having one player in midfield and one in defence regaining match sharpness is welcome news for Carrick. Next up is Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October. With just one friendly under their belts, though, it remains to be seen whether the pair start straight away or begin on the bench.