Manchester United's £70 Million Midfield Signing Carlos Baleba Delayed

Manchester United will have to wait to unveil their £70 million midfield centrepiece.

Carlos Baleba, signed from Brighton on Tuesday amid heavy fanfare and high-level praise from within the club, is set to miss around three weeks with an ankle injury, Michael Carrick has confirmed.

Big signing, delayed debut

United moved decisively for the 22-year-old Cameroon international after adding Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans earlier in the summer, reshaping a midfield that badly needed fresh legs and new ideas.

But the new arrival comes with a caveat.

"He's got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks," Carrick said. "We'll see but we knew that before, so it's no major issue but it'll be great to have him back when we can."

The problem, picked up before his move, already kept Baleba out of Brighton’s Conference League fixtures and their Premier League opener. It will now rule him out of Sunday’s Premier League home game against promoted Ipswich and the matches that follow.

The delay is frustrating for supporters who have been told, in no uncertain terms, what United think they have bought. Director of football Jason Wilcox has already labelled Baleba "an elite midfielder with immense potential to develop further", a description that only heightens the sense of anticipation.

Carrick’s midfield puzzle

Carrick is not hiding his enthusiasm.

"We're delighted to have Carlos," he said. "I think huge potential, massive potential. I think he's a really exciting signing for us.

"I think the quality that he has, the attributes that he has that offsets a little bit of the balance of the group that we've got. Different strengths, different combinations.

"So, for us to have that, absolutely delighted to have him. I think there's so much more to come from him as well, which with the player that he already is with that little bit more to come is exciting for us."

United’s midfield has been rebuilt on the fly. Santos, Tielemans and now Baleba offer different profiles, different rhythms. Carrick clearly sees the former Brighton man as a piece that changes the chemistry, not just the depth chart.

The timeline he outlined points towards a possible debut in a fixture dripping with narrative: United host Brighton in the Carabao Cup before travelling to Fulham on September 20, their final outing before Tottenham visit Old Trafford after the October international break. Somewhere in that run, if recovery goes to plan, Baleba’s first steps in a United shirt await.

Injuries, returns and a needed reaction

The injury situation around the squad remains fluid. Asked whether Baleba and Amad Diallo could feature before the upcoming three-week international break, Carrick refused to lock himself into dates.

"It's obviously new, the break to deal with, but we'll wait and see," he said. "We're hopeful but I don't want to put any deadlines on it just yet.

"Amad won't be involved this week. He'll be out for a little bit longer. Mase (Mason Mount) is back around the group, which was great. Trained this week, so that's a big positive for us."

Mount’s return gives Carrick another creative option at a time when United are already under pressure to respond. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at play-off winners Hull was a jolt – a nightmare start that stripped away any early-season comfort.

Marcus Rashford, given extended rest after the World Cup, came on at half-time in that game alongside Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo, a reminder of the firepower and balance still at Carrick’s disposal.

"We've got a squad to choose from. We've got a good squad and we could pick a variety kind of combinations within the team," the United manager said. "We'll pick a team for the weekend but, yeah, certainly the boys are massively in contention."

The message is clear: no excuses. Even without their £70m midfielder, United are expected to hit back quickly.

Baleba will have to watch the first act of this response from the sidelines. When his ankle heals and his chance finally comes, the stakes – and the expectations – may be even higher.