Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has indicated that new signing Carlos Baleba is between 10 and 14 days away from making his debut for the club, with the Cameroonian midfielder likely to appear first in a Premier League fixture against Fulham at Craven Cottage on September 20.

United completed the signing of Baleba from Brighton in late August in a deal worth £70 million, bringing him in as a replacement for veteran midfielder Casemiro, who left Old Trafford in the summer. The fee comprised an initial £65 million plus £5 million in add-ons.

Baleba, 22, made 31 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season, logging almost 1,700 minutes of action. He averaged more than three ball recoveries per game, won an average of six duels per match, and contributed one interception and one tackle per outing for the Seagulls.

Injury updates ahead of Everton trip

Before addressing Baleba's timeline, Carrick offered updates on injured duo Mason Mount and Luke Shaw. Mount appears to have had an encouraging week in training, while Shaw was photographed on the training pitch alongside club captain Bruno Fernandes on Thursday.

Manchester United head into the weekend on the back of a mixed start to the Premier League season — beating Ipswich Town 5-2 last Sunday but suffering a 2-0 opening-day defeat to Hull City at the MKM Stadium before that.

A possible cup debut against former club

Should Baleba reach fitness at the midpoint of Carrick's suggested window, he could feature earlier — in the Carabao Cup on September 16 against his former club Brighton. That would create a quirky narrative: the last match Baleba played before joining United was a 3-0 Brighton defeat to Manchester United in the final game of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

United are also set to compete in the UEFA Champions League in the coming weeks, adding further incentive to integrate Baleba into the squad as quickly as possible.