Matthijs de Ligt is now leading the way for Manchester United in one key area that the Netherlands international was criticised for before his move to Old Trafford.
De Ligt has been one of the standout performers for the Red Devils over the course of the campaign so far, with the 26-year-old establishing himself as one of the first names on Ruben Amorim’s teamsheet.
The Dutchman is really coming into his prime at United now, as De Ligt himself has admitted, with significant implications for emerging young centre-backs like Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven.
Everything seems to be positive at the moment surrounding De Ligt, but that wasn’t always the case before his transfer to Old Trafford.
Matthijs de Ligt previously criticised for injuries
During his time at both Juventus and Bayern Munich, the Golden Boy winner didn’t have the finest of injury records.
To say De Ligt was injury-prone would be an understatement, with the defender missing a whopping 62 games over the course of five seasons.
| Season | Days | Injuries | Games Missed |
| 23/24 | 84 days | 4 | 20 |
| 22/23 | 18 days | 3 | 5 |
| 21/22 | 8 days | 1 | 2 |
| 20/21 | 147 days | 4 | 28 |
| 19/20 | 28 days | 3 | 7 |
Naturally, when United were linked with De Ligt, the media picked this out as his major flaw.
De Ligt missed 12 games through injury in 2023-24. Varane, who was often criticised for his injury issues at Old Trafford, missed 11.”
It was a valid concern. But one that is no more for De Ligt at Manchester United.
De Ligt looks fitter than ever at Manchester United
The centre-back is now a regular for United, with injury problems seemingly a thing of the past for the 26-year-old.
In fact, De Ligt is the only Manchester United player this season to have played every single minute in the Premier League.
2025/26 Premier League minutes at Manchester United
- 1. Matthijs de Ligt – 990
- 2. Bruno Fernandes – 980
- 3. Bryan Mbeumo – 955
- 4. Luke Shaw – 933
- 5. Amad – 754
This is really a testament to how hard De Ligt has worked since joining the Red Devils, and gives a clear indication of what United can expect from him in future.
De Ligt will be a key player for Amorim for many years to come, and has seemingly locked down the middle centre-back role. Here’s to many more years of the 6 ft 2 in man.
In fact, De Ligt is the only Manchester United player this season to have played every single minute in the Premier League.
2025/26 Premier League minutes at Manchester United
- 1. Matthijs de Ligt – 990
- 2. Bruno Fernandes – 980
- 3. Bryan Mbeumo – 955
- 4. Luke Shaw – 933
- 5. Amad – 754
This is really a testament to how hard De Ligt has worked since joining the Red Devils, and gives a clear indication of what United can expect from him in future.
De Ligt will be a key player for Amorim for many years to come, and has seemingly locked down the middle centre-back role. Here’s to many more years of the 6 ft 2 in man.
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