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Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia could “possibly” be fit to face Ipswich Town in what would prove a massive boost to new manager Ruben Amorim.
United have been without either of their senior left-backs for the entirety of the season, with Luke Shaw joining Malacia on the treatment table following long-term injuries to both players.
Malacia, 25, has not played for the Red Devils since May 2023 following a serious knee injury, which required two operations to fix.
It has been a desperately unfortunate time for the Dutch international who has missed out on nearly eighteen months of football. And to make matters worse, for both the club and Malacia, Shaw has also been largely unavailable in this period.
The 29-year-old English fullback, who played for the Three Lions in the EUROs final against Spain in the summer, has endured a difficult time with injuries since his move from Southampton over a decade ago.
Since Christmas last year alone, Shaw has missed 41 matches for United.
In each one of these games, Malacia would have taken his place, hoping to build on a promising first season for the club after joining from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022; except the Dutchman’s own injury issues have left him unable to do so, and United repeatedly without a recognised left-back in the squad.
Both Erik ten Hag and his interim replacement, Ruud van Nistelrooy, have experimented with makeshift options to fill this gap on the left-hand side of defence.
Diogo Dalot has been the option most consistently deployed there this season, though the 25-year-old does not look a comfortable fit on his weaker side. Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez have also been trialled without much success either.
Which is why Laurie Whitwell’s update that Malacia may potentially be fit enough to be included against Ipswich Town is such a positive one.
Speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast, the Athletic writer revealed the Dutch fullback has been “back in full training” for the last couple of weeks and could “possibly” be in the squad for the trip to Portman Road on November 24.
Whitwell does caveat that the club’s medical team are treating Malacia “very carefully” however, suggesting a fixture against one of the teams at the bottom of the Premier League table may not be the ideal match to welcome him back.
Given Amorim, who is set to take charge against Ipswich in his first game as United manager, deploys a three-at-the-back system which is heavily reliant upon wingbacks driving forward, the prospect of a natural left-sided defender being fit will prove a welcome boost.
