Matthijs de Ligt, a 27-year-old centre-back, has made his return to the Manchester United squad after a lengthy absence. The Dutch defender had been out of action for over ten months due to a back injury. De Ligt has now rejoined the team under the guidance of manager Michael Carrick, who has expressed his confidence in de Ligt's ability to play. Carrick stated, "I feel good about letting him play," during a press conference in Madrid ahead of the Champions League match against Atlético. However, the question of when and how much de Ligt can play remains to be seen, with Carrick indicating that they will be taking a cautious approach to his return.