Carlos Baleba Makes Manchester United Debut in Lausanne Friendly
Carlos Baleba has taken his first steps towards a competitive Manchester United debut after appearing in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Friday.
Key takeaways
- Baleba played in a training match against Swiss club Lausanne-Sport.
- The 22-year-old joined Manchester United from Brighton for £70 million ($93m) in August.
- An ankle problem suffered during Brighton’s pre-season has kept him out of United’s competitive fixtures.
- He was included among the substitutes for the 1-1 draw away to Fulham before the international break.
- Harry Maguire and Matheus Cunha were also involved in the friendly at Carrington.
Baleba moves closer to United debut
The midfielder has been building his fitness at Manchester United’s Carrington base since arriving with the ankle injury that interrupted his final pre-season preparations at Brighton.
His involvement against Lausanne-Sport represents his first on-field appearance in United colours, although it came in a non-competitive setting. The session gave the club an opportunity to assess his condition alongside established first-team players, including Maguire and Cunha.
Baleba had already made progress sufficient to earn a place on the bench for United’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Fulham immediately before the international break, but he has yet to be used in a competitive match.
Carrick monitoring recovery
Head coach Michael Carrick has said Baleba is working hard to accelerate his recovery, describing the midfielder as “pushing to get back as quickly as possible”.
United paid £70 million, reported as $93m, to bring the Cameroon international to Old Trafford in August. The friendly appearance is an encouraging marker in his rehabilitation, with the next stage being a return to full first-team availability.
