De Ligt to Miss Manchester United's Early Season Matches! Report: Martinez Demands £190,000 Weekly Wage for New Deal, Ratcliffe Considers Selling

Manchester United's Dutch center-back Matthijs de Ligt has been confirmed unavailable for the beginning of the new campaign. His back injury from November last year led to a season-ending absence, and he had surgery in the summer. He remains in recovery. The 26-year-old Dutchman is still not fit for full squad training and is doing personal recovery work at Carrington.

De Ligt has been out of action for nine months, which means he cannot quickly return to matches. During his absence, Manchester United have changed managers twice: Ruben Amorim was dismissed, Darren Fletcher had a brief stint as caretaker, and then Michael Carrick took over and was given the job permanently.

Originally, De Ligt could have started a season under a new coach for the first time in his career, but the injury prevented that from happening. When the Dutchman got hurt, Amorim was still the manager. By the time he returns next season, Carrick will be in charge, so for him personally, it will still be a new manager.

The back injury De Ligt is dealing with is very tricky. A player may feel fully recovered, but after returning to training, the first high-intensity session or sprint could immediately cause a muscle strain. During his injury layoff, "Fatty" (De Ligt's nickname) was repeatedly rumored to be close to returning, but that never materialized.

After half a season of conservative treatment, Manchester United's medical staff decided in May to have him undergo surgery. Now, De Ligt can only train alone, and he did not appear in the club's official summer training camp photos. For him, this is already a step forward, because after the operation he was initially recovering abroad, and now he can return to Carrington to work on improving his physical condition.

Manchester United's club reporter Andy Mitten said that De Ligt's condition is improving, but he is not expected to be ready for the team's Premier League opener on August 22. "We won't see De Ligt at the start of the season, but we should see him shortly after," Mitten stated.

In addition to De Ligt, 28-year-old Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez also had to leave the pitch due to injury in the first half of the World Cup final. "Licha" suffered a muscle strain in the front of his right thigh, and the exact severity of his injury has not yet been determined. If both players are unavailable, veteran Harry Maguire, young talent Leny Yoro, and Eden Heaven will compete for starting positions.

Mitten also revealed that Martínez, who has only one year left on his contract with United, has raised doubts within the board. If a suitable offer comes in, the club would not rule out selling him. If they don't sell, then United will have to negotiate a new deal, as the "Argentine Butcher's" contract is entering its final year.

If he extends his contract, Martínez will demand a three-year deal worth £190,000 per week. He currently earns a fixed £120,000 weekly salary plus £30,000 in performance bonuses. The Argentine international's quality and mentality are beyond question, but his injury record and availability are far from ideal. Some fans joke that no one can break through a United central defense pairing of Martínez and De Ligt, because the two can hardly ever play together...

Mitten analyzed: "I think United are also hesitant. If the club receives a high bid, the Ratcliffe family will seriously consider it. Martínez is far from the highest-paid defender, and when he plays, he can be one of the best. The problem is he doesn't play enough. United want to spend their money wisely, and Martínez's game time has been too limited. What if this injury keeps him out for even more matches? Nobody doubts his quality when he's fit—his characteristics are obvious, and he won over many fans in his first season at United. But he will likely demand a bigger contract. The question is, will United give it to him? You can't predict his long-term contributions, and you only know exactly what a player brings when he's actually on the pitch."