Xavi says Manchester United‘s Matthijs de Ligt remains a key player for the Netherlands despite his long absence.
The centre-back last made an appearance for Oranje in their World Cup qualifier win over Lithuania last November.
Later that month, he played the full 90 minutes in Manchester United’s league win over Crystal Palace, and that was his last appearance.
He initially underwent conservative treatment, which wasn’t successful, and therefore, the Dutchman went under the knife in May. This delayed his return and forced him to miss the World Cup with the national team.
Door open for Manchester United player
Last month, Oranje appointed Xavi Hernández as their new head coach and he’s the first non-Dutch to manage the national team since Ernst Happel in 1978.
Xavi has picked his squad for this international break, and the Manchester United man hasn’t made it to his list. Earlier today, the new manager had a press conference and Algemeen Dagblad relayed his comments.
When asked about Matthijs de Ligt, the Spaniard also talked about Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons.
“Yes, we’re in touch with him and Manchester United. He’s been through a tough time. I’ve also been in touch with Frenkie de Jong and Xavi Simons recently. We need all our players, especially these guys,” he said.
The manager hasn’t closed the door for the 27-year-old to return to the national team.
“He’s doing well. We are checking how are they? We want to check because we need all the players. In this case, De Ligt is an important player. He could be important in the future,” Xavi explained.
| Every Manchester United signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Player | From | Estimated Fee / Type |
| Carlos Baleba | Brighton & Hove Albion | £65m |
| Andrey Santos | Chelsea | £48m |
| Youri Tielemans | Aston Villa | £35m |
| Karl Darlow | Leeds United | Free |
Injuries bothered Manchester United player
The defender spent two years at Bayern Munich and left them for the Old Trafford club in 2024. During his time in Germany, he was sidelined on seven different occasions.
Matthijs de Ligt missed nine matches for Manchester United because of injuries in his debut season. In his second season, he maintained his form and fitness until suffering a back injury.
The Dutchman is yet to feature under Michael Carrick. He’s close to returning to the pitch and can provide the Red Devils manager another experienced option in the defence.
🇩🇪 Fabian Hürzeler tells German media how his Brighton team turned Manchester United inside out https://t.co/rciNNhugfq #mufc #bhafc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 19, 2026
