22 hours Ago By [email protected] (Nathan Ridley)
A delighted Marcus Rashford has sent Tyrell Malacia a message after the Manchester United star made his long-awaited comeback following 17 months of injury hell. Dutch left-back Malacia returned to action for United's under-21 side on Tuesday, playing 45 minutes in their EFL Trophy clash with Huddersfield Town . The Red Devils eventually lost 4-1 but during Malacia's time on the pitch, the former Feyenoord defender looked sharp and was vocal in a young backline.
Malacia hadn't played a competitive match since June 2023, featuring for the Netherlands in their Nations League semi-final defeat to Croatia . The 25-year-old suffered a series of setbacks after having an operation on his knee, needing a second round of surgery. His prolonged absence meant that he wasn't able to play under Erik ten Hag again before his sacking, having been signed for an initial £13million in 2022.
Malacia's comeback was brought to an end when was replaced by Harry Amass in a pre-planned half-time substitution and afterwards, he received a flood of support from fans and team-mates, including Rashford. United's official Instagram account posted an image of the Netherlands international back in action, writing as the caption: "SO good to see you back out there, Ty." In the comments section, Rashford, who's good friends with Malacia, replied: "Twinnn" and accompanied it with three love heart emojis.
Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes also posted on his Instagram story: "Happy to see you back." Caretaker boss Ruud van Nistelrooy had predicted that Malacia would make his comeback in the under-21s, recently saying: "Tyrell is the furthest [along the road to recovery] in the moment – he's [been] part of team training for a couple of weeks now, full in team training, no restrictions. So it's good for him to plan game minutes, maybe in the under-21s.
We have to see." Get involved! Can Tyrell Malacia become a starter under Ruben Amorim? Have your say in the comments section . Now that Ruben Amorim has taken charge following Ten Hag's departure, and with Luke Shaw still sidelined, Malacia could get the nod at left-back over the coming weeks.
However, it's unlikely that the Dutchman will be able to start next Sunday's clash with Ipswich Town , Amorim's first game. Following his move from Feyenoord, Malacia made 39 appearances for United in the 2022-23 season. His impressive start to life at Old Trafford sparked improved performances from Shaw, who eventually regained the left-back slot as the Red Devils enjoyed a much more positive season than this term.
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