Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam believes Carlos Baleba can make “a big difference” for the Red Devils after a poor start to the season.
United are 13th in the Premier League after their draw with 10-man Tottenham last weekend, while they were also eliminated from the EFL Cup in the third round by Brighton.
The pressure on head coach Michael Carrick then increased on Tuesday after their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, while Lisandro Martinez’s attack on United’s leadership did not help matters.
United have lost three of their last five games in all competitions (D2), as many as in their previous 21 games under Carrick (W14 D4).
It is also their longest winless run since a streak of six games without a victory in January 2025 (D2 L4).
However, after missing the start of the season through injury, £70m summer signing Baleba has featured in their last two games.
He came off the bench against Spurs for his debut before starting against Atleti; he won six of his eight duels against Diego Simeone’s side before being replaced in the 66th minute.
After encouraging signs from Baleba in his first two appearances, Stam has backed the 22-year-old to make an impact in United’s midfield.
“You can see the promise of Baleba, the quality that he has,” Stam told Flashscore.
First United start #UCL debut It’s a big night for Baleba https://t.co/1rI5YDrpOe
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 13, 2026
“He made a difference straight away, which is very promising of course. Hopefully he can start and keep that up for a long time during a game, for 95 minutes.
“I think that’s very important, because Carrick is still looking for the ideal partnership of midfield players in the middle of the field, who can work together, who can bring that fresh spark together with Bruno and be dominant against the opposition, but also defensively not give away too much.
“It’s a combination of both that he’s looking for, and with Baleba in there, I think that makes a big difference.”
Baleba will be hoping to make his first Premier League start for United on Sunday when they face rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.
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