Carlos Baleba: Manchester United's Missing Midfield Piece
Carlos Baleba has spent the opening weeks of his Manchester United career watching, waiting and rehabbing. The $94 million (£70 million) summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion has yet to kick a ball for his new club, but the wait is nearly over.
The Cameroon international arrived in Manchester already nursing an ankle injury, one that had wiped out his entire preseason on the south coast. United knew they were buying both talent and a recovery timeline. The internal hope was clear: get him right for just after the first international break.
That plan now looks on schedule.
Carrick’s Update: Countdown Begins
After weeks of individual work and careful management, Baleba is finally close to joining the main group at Carrington.
“He’ll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so, so that means after [the] international [break], he should be in good shape,” Michael Carrick told reporters.
For now, the 22-year-old remains a spectator. He will miss the midweek Carabao Cup reunion with Brighton at Old Trafford. He will also sit out the trip to Fulham on Sunday, Sept. 20, United’s final game before the club calendar pauses.
His absence from Cameroon’s squad for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros and Republic of the Congo is no shock either. Instead of flying off to join his country, he will stay in Manchester, working through sessions designed to sharpen his fitness and finally close the gap between transfer fee and first appearance.
“He’s desperate to get out there, be part of the group and train fully with the boys,” Carrick said. The impatience is mutual.
Eye on Tottenham: Debut Window Opens
So when does it actually happen? When does Baleba pull on a United shirt for real?
All signs point to the first game after the international break: Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Oct. 10. By that point, he should have around three weeks of full-intensity training behind him, helped by an unusually long international window approved by FIFA.
This break merges the usual September and October slots, with some national teams cramming in up to four fixtures over two-and-a-half weeks. While others travel, Baleba will be building.
The timing could not be better for Carrick.
A Brutal Run Awaits
From the moment Tottenham arrive in Manchester, United’s schedule explodes. Between Oct. 10 and Nov. 7, they are set to play eight times – potentially nine if they beat Brighton this week and move forward in the Carabao Cup.
The run looks like this:
- Oct. 10, 2026 – Tottenham Hotspur (H), Premier League
- Oct. 13, 2026 – Atlético Madrid (A), Champions League
- Oct. 18, 2026 – Leeds United (A), Premier League
- Oct. 21, 2026 – Como (A), Champions League
- Oct. 25, 2026 – Bournemouth (H), Premier League
- Oct. 28, 2026 – potential fixture, Carabao Cup
- Oct. 31, 2026 – Chelsea (A), Premier League
- Nov. 3, 2026 – Roma (H), Champions League
- Nov. 7, 2026 – Aston Villa (H), Premier League
That is the kind of stretch that exposes any weakness in a squad’s core. It is also exactly the sort of period when a powerful, defensive-minded midfielder can change the feel of a team.
The Missing Piece in Midfield
United did not sign Baleba to be a luxury option. He was billed as the final piece of a rebuilt midfield, the destroyer to sit behind or alongside the more expansive talents.
Andrey Santos arrived earlier in the window as a versatile presence. Youri Tielemans came in to dictate and create. Baleba brings something different: aggression, protection, and balance.
“He’s obviously a quality player,” Carrick said. “It’s why we brought him here and he balances off the dynamics of the midfield particularly well.”
United had tracked him before. In 2025, the price was simply too high, a fee that would have put him among a tiny group of Premier League midfielders to break the £100 million barrier. Twelve months on, they found a deal at £70 million that they felt they could live with.
Now comes the part where he has to show why they waited.
Baleba is expected to be a starter in United’s strongest XI, especially in games where the opposition can hurt them and the back line needs more cover. Against elite sides, his presence could allow others to play higher, to take more risks, to attack without constantly glancing over their shoulders.
There will be matches, of course, when Carrick may feel he can do without that extra shield – home games against weaker sides, where United dominate the ball and the task is to unlock packed defences rather than survive transitions.
But as October looms and the fixtures pile up, one question grows louder: how quickly can Carlos Baleba turn from expensive absentee into the heartbeat of Manchester United’s midfield?
