Manuel Ugarte went under the knife on July 15, 2026, after sustaining ligament damage to his knee during Uruguay’s World Cup campaign. Manchester United confirmed the surgery was successful and that rehabilitation is already underway, but the timeline attached to this kind of procedure is the part that stings.

Ugarte is expected to be sidelined for somewhere between six and twelve months. In practical terms, that means the 2026/27 season could come and go largely without him.

What happened and when

The injury occurred during Uruguay’s group stage match against Spain at the 2026 World Cup, roughly two weeks before the club made the announcement. Ligament damage of this nature rarely announces itself quietly, and Ugarte’s tournament ended there.

United confirmed the procedure was completed successfully and that their medical and performance staff have already begun supervising his recovery.

A six-to-twelve month window is fairly standard for serious ligament repairs, but the upper end of that range would push Ugarte’s return close to the summer of 2027.

Why this matters for Manchester United

Ugarte joined Manchester United in 2024 from Paris Saint-Germain and has established himself as a key player for both club and country, becoming a regular starter during Uruguay’s 2026 World Cup campaign. Losing him for most of a season is a structural problem, not just a squad depth issue.

With him unavailable for the majority of the season, United’s coaching staff will need to either redistribute responsibilities among existing midfielders or move in the transfer market.

The rehabilitation timeline United has communicated, six to twelve months under medical and performance staff supervision, is the kind of structured update that signals the club is being transparent rather than optimistic. Whether Ugarte is back on the pitch by January 2027 or closer to the following summer will depend on how his body responds to the surgery and the subsequent conditioning work.