Matthijs de Ligt is still not fully fit fifty days before the start of the Football World Cup. According to his club Manchester United, the 26-year-old defender returned to the training field to continue working on his recovery. It is not yet clear whether he will have recovered in time for the final tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
De Ligt has been sidelined since December with a back injury. The defender played his last game for Manchester United against Crystal Palace on November 30. He still trains individually, but according to his club he is in a positive mood.
The defender returned to the Dutch selection in November for the matches against Poland and Lithuania in the World Cup qualification. De Ligt played the full ninety minutes against Lithuania.
The Netherlands will play the first group match against Japan on June 14 in Dallas. The World Cup starts on June 11 with the opening match in Mexico City between Mexico and South Africa.
