De Ligt's comeback to Manchester United collapses in 4-1 loss at Como

Matthijs de Ligt made his long-awaited return for Manchester United, but the night ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat at Como in the Champions League, according to multiple Dutch media reports.

The Dutch defender, who had been sidelined with a persistent back injury, started at the heart of the defense against Como, as reported by Voetbal International and confirmed by NU.nl. His return came after 325 days, according to Calciomercato.com and TuttoMercatoWeb, with Voetbalzone noting he was back in the starting lineup after eleven months of injury woes.

Defeat extends winless run

The match at Como turned into a nightmare for United. According to Voetbal International, the Red Devils suffered a heavy defeat and have now gone seven matches without a win. Joshua Zirkzee scored United's consolation goal. FCUpdate described the performance as 'hopeless', with the scoreline reading 4-1 in Italy.

Galatasaray beat Lille elsewhere

In the other Champions League fixture covered by the dossier, Galatasaray defeated Lille in a goal-filled encounter in France, as reported by Voetbalprimeur.

Manager's confidence before the match

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, United manager Michael Carrick confirmed that de Ligt was fit enough to play. Voetbalnieuws quoted Carrick as saying, "He has worked hard." The manager's faith was rewarded with a starting spot, but the result dampened the occasion. The defeat at Como leaves United, who have not won in seven outings, looking for answers under Carrick.