Carrick ready to unleash demon against Spurs after impressive start at Man United

Carlos Baleba could finally make his Manchester United debut against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10 after making encouraging progress in his recovery from an ankle ligament injury.

United invested up to £70million to sign the Cameroon international from Brighton in August, but the injury he suffered during pre-season has prevented Michael Carrick from using one of his biggest summer additions.

Baleba is now approaching full fitness, and his work behind the scenes has reportedly impressed United’s coaching staff.

Baleba could push for Tottenham starting place

According to The Athletic, Baleba has recovered quicker than initially expected and could be in contention when Tottenham visit Old Trafford after the international break.

The 22-year-old has been following an individual programme at Carrington and was fit enough to make the bench for United’s recent 1-1 draw with Fulham, although he remained an unused substitute.

He could now receive valuable minutes in a behind-closed-doors academy fixture against Lausanne-Sport before returning to first-team action.

Baleba arrived at Old Trafford on a contract running until 2031, with an option for another year.

United’s official statistics highlight why the club pursued him so strongly: last season he ranked in the Premier League’s top eight per cent for combined tackles and interceptions and the top one per cent for second balls won.

Baleba could change midfield balance at Man United

Baleba’s return could be extremely important for Carrick.

United strengthened midfield significantly during the summer with Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Baleba, but the former Brighton midfielder offers something slightly different.

His ability to cover ground, win possession and carry the ball through pressure could give United greater athleticism in front of the defence.

There should be no need to rush him straight into 90 minutes against Tottenham, particularly after such a lengthy absence. However, even having Baleba available from the bench would give Carrick another way to change games.

If he comes through the Lausanne-Sport fixture without problems, a long-awaited Old Trafford debut on October 10 suddenly looks realistic.