Manchester United to Wait Until October for Carlos Baleba's Debut

Michael Carrick will have to keep juggling his midfield without Carlos Baleba for a while yet. The £70 million summer signing is not expected back until after the upcoming international break, delaying his much-anticipated Manchester United debut into October.

Big Fee, Long Wait

Baleba arrived last month as United’s third midfield recruit of the window and their fourth – and final – senior signing after Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow. At 22, he was brought in as a long-term pillar of Carrick’s project, a player the club hope can anchor their midfield for the next decade.

But he hasn’t kicked a ball for them.

An injury picked up earlier in the summer has kept the Cameroonian out since his move, even as Santos and Tielemans were thrown straight in on the opening day against Hull. While those two got their full debuts, Baleba has been stuck in the gym and the treatment room.

Some observers assumed the setback might cool United’s interest. INEOS pushed ahead anyway, committing to the deal and betting big on a player who had been keen on joining a year earlier.

Derby Dream on Hold

There had been quiet optimism that Baleba might target the Manchester Derby for his return, a blockbuster stage for his first appearance in red. That plan has been shelved.

According to Manchester Evening News journalist Tyrone Marshall, Baleba will not be available for the clash with Manchester City. The wait stretches further.

He is also expected to miss Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie against his former club Brighton, as well as next Sunday’s Premier League trip to Fulham. The message is clear: no risks, no shortcuts.

United now anticipate having him back only after the extended international break, with October pencilled in as his launch window. The standout date? The Premier League showdown with Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October, a fixture Baleba will be desperate to make.

Carrick’s Midfield Puzzle

In the meantime, Carrick has been operating with a stripped-back set of options in the middle of the pitch. Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo have formed the current starting partnership, with Santos offering energy and bite from the bench.

On paper, it’s a technically gifted pairing. On the pitch, it has left United short of raw power.

Mainoo and Tielemans can pass, probe and create. They can control tempo and find pockets between the lines. What they don’t bring is the kind of explosive, ball-carrying presence that can rip through pressure and turn defence into attack in a few strides.

Santos, at present, is the only recognised midfield enforcer available, yet Carrick has chosen to keep him out of the XI in favour of the more creative duo. That decision underlines just how much the manager is waiting for Baleba to step in and change the profile of the engine room.

The Cameroonian has been earmarked as the missing piece in Carrick’s tactical jigsaw – a physically imposing midfielder who can win duels, protect the back line and then surge forward with pace and strength.

The Partnership United Fans Want

This is why the delay stings. United did not just sign Baleba for the here and now; they handed him a five-year contract with a view to building around him. The idea is clear: grow him alongside Mainoo, let them mature together, and shape a midfield that can dominate for years.

For now, that vision sits on pause.

Supporters are already talking about the potential of a Mainoo–Baleba axis, a blend of craft and muscle that could finally give United the balance they have lacked. The anticipation will only build as October approaches.

When Baleba finally walks out at Old Trafford, possibly against Tottenham, the wait will have been long. The expectation will be even bigger.