Carlos Baleba injury: Man Utd receive mixed news over £70m man before facing Brighton in EFL Cup

Carlos Baleba is edging closer to making his highly anticipated Manchester United debut as he intensifies his recovery ahead of their Carabao Cup fixture against Brighton.

The 22-year-old is yet to make an appearance for the Red Devils following his £70m summer arrival due to a lingering ankle ligament injury sustained during a pre-season friendly for his former club.

Michael Carrick then indicated that the Cameroon international would miss the opening weeks of the campaign but remained extremely hopeful of a return before the upcoming international break.

The club are understood to have always anticipated his temporary absence and completely refused to rush his rehabilitation schedule.

As reported by the Man Utd website, the combative midfielder was recently pictured working rigorously in the gym and on the grass at Carrington but is widely expected to miss Wednesday's clash against his former employers.

United are keen to secure a victory at Old Trafford as they look to bounce back from a bitterly disappointing 1-0 defeat in Sunday's Manchester derby. 

An official club statement subsequently confirmed that the marquee signing is working tirelessly to force his way into first-team contention.

"Baleba is working as hard as he can to get back into contention," read a United statement.

The timing of the Baleba story may cause some raised eyebrows, given the disappointment of Sunday's derby loss against 10 men after Phil Foden's first-half dismissal. 

While Carrick's men have yet to see their marquee arrival from Brighton in any midfield configuration, the Red Devils' ongoing issues out of possession so far appear to be structural. 

Carrick has dropped Andrey Santos from the XI to accommodate Kobbie Mainoo alongside Youri Tielemans, with mixed results.

United have claimed just two wins from four matches since the opening-day 2-0 loss at Hull City, one of which was a 4-0 victory over Champions League debutants Sabah last week.

Baleba's return may or may not solve the team's challenges, even if many expect the 22-year-old to at least give the team added options. 

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