Man Utd star snubbed as he plays just two minutes in two international games, now he returns to Carrington

One of Manchester United’s top stars’ international break is already over, and he barely played.

Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial are two examples of Manchester United players who have dealt with the disappointments of returning injured from international holidays.

Therefore, when a player is not chosen or hardly plays for their nation, it is often good news. It lessens the likelihood of accidents as well as normal wear and tear.

The season of 2025–2026 is a little different. Given that Manchester United does not play in Europe, one could argue that giving the players a bit more playing time during the internationals will help them become more agile.

Matthijs de Ligt was hardly given this chance during the most recent international break.

Matthijs de Ligt snubbed, twice

Despite making his debut for the Netherlands as a youth, Matthijs de Ligt is only considered a backup under current manager Ronald Koeman.

Koeman picked Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke and Virgil van Dijk when the Netherlands hosted Poland at the end of last week.

Stefan de Vrij was called off the bench when Van Hecke was substituted late in the game, and Micky van de Ven was selected at left-back.

Since it was obvious where he stood in Koeman’s plans, De Ligt was an underutilized substitute.

Van Dijk and De Vrij were selected as the Netherlands’ starting lineup for their match against Lithuania on Sunday night.

De Ligt was called off the bench as a substitute in the 88th minute, only after Van de Ven and Jurrien Timber had been called on in the 62nd minute.

The Manchester United defender still managed to make four clearances as he helped Netherlands secure a 3-2 away victory.

But that was as far as his international break went. A total of two minutes in two matches.

De Ligt now returns to Carrington

The good news is that Matthijs de Ligt is now back in Carrington, rested and with a little something to prove.

The Dutch center back now has a whole week to get ready for the derby away to Manchester City, which is Manchester United’s next match.

De Ligt is anticipated to start at The Etihad after starting all three of United’s Premier League games in 2025–2026.

Joshua Zirkzee, a fellow countryman of De Ligt, is a player whose function is less clear.

Zirkzee has had more time to train back in Manchester since Koeman did not even call him up for the Dutch national team.

He has a chance to start the derby with both Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount picking up knocks in the win over Burnley.