Karl Darlow
The goalkeeper was signed on a free transfer earlier this month, but he has not featured in the opening two friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg.
Darlow had a minor procedure at the end of last season, and he is said to be in the final stages of his recovery.
Expected Return Date – Unknown
Kobbie Mainoo
England manager Thomas Tuchel said that the midfielder did not play against France in the World Cup third-place playoff due to “sharp pain” in his back.
Mainoo will now be rested before returning to pre-season training early next month.
Expected Return Date – Unknown
Matthijs de Ligt
The centre-back was forced to undergo surgery at the end of last season, after more conservative treatment on a back problem failed to yield results.
De Ligt was never expected to be available for pre-season, with the club confirming back in May that he would make his comeback in “early stages of the 2026/27 season”.
The Netherlands international has not played a competitive game since the end of November last year, so there’s a good chance that he will be on the sidelines for 10 or even 11 months in total.
It’s likely that de Ligt will be back in contention sometime after the first international break.
Expected Return Date – September/October
