TYRELL MALACIA has finally made his long awaited return from injury after SEVENTEEN months.

The left-back featured for Manchester United Under-21s in their Bristol Street Motors clash with Huddersfield.

Tyrell Malacia has made his return from injury after 17 months out

He featured for Man Utd Under-21s against Huddersfield

Malacia started alongside United’s youngsters but lasted just 45 minutes in the 4-1 defeat, which knocked the Red Devils out of the competition.

Malacia put in a solid performance in the first 45 minutes, although Manchester United U21 eventually lost 1-4 to their opponents. The first half ended in a 1-1 draw, with Malacia showing impressive form during this period.

Malacia’s stat

Although he only played half the match, Malacia left his mark with the following notable numbers:

Passing accuracy: 94%, lost the ball 3 times during the 45 minutes. Made 2 clearances, 1 interception and 1 duel won

For Malacia, 25, it was his first appearance in 17 months.

He returned to training in September and was given a hero’s welcome by his team-mates after being sidelined for so long.

His last competitive fixture came for the Netherlands in a June 2023 Nations League game before he went under the knife for a knee injury a month later.

Complications following the surgery meant he was forced to undergo a second procedure that kept him out of action for even longer.

He has been training for the past few weeks with United first releasing footage of Malacia jogging.

As part of a player tunnel introduction, he was given a gentle knock on the head while sprinting through a crowd of teammates after nearly a year of inactivity.

Malacia’s return will benefit new manager Ruben Amorim, even if he could still need some time to catch up.

After beginning his new role on Monday, the Portuguese was seen at Carrington with Dan Ashworth, the sports director.

To show how swiftly he has made an effect, he has already sacked assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.