When the club became aware of it, they made every effort to cover it up from the general public. What happened to Tyrell Malacia and the reasons why he lasted an entire season without playing a single game or training is finally revealed by Fabrizio Romano. “It was very unexpected and has never happened to any football player before,” Romano says

After being sidelined for an extended period due to a knee injury, the 24-year-old defender, who joined from Feyenoord in 2022 for around £15 million, was back with his teammates for the celebrations. Malacia’s last appearance for Manchester United was on May 28, 2023, before his injury kept him out of action.

Initially, there was optimism that Malacia would return to first-team football by February. However, United’s manager Erik ten Hag later revised these expectations, indicating that Malacia was unlikely to play again in the 2023/24 season.

Ten Hag commented, “I think it’s going to be difficult for this season to be available.”

Malacia’s absence on social media, with his last Instagram post on July 11, 2023, and his last tweet shortly after, also worried fans.

Despite this, seeing him on the pitch at Wembley, participating in the celebrations after United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City, was a reassuring and thrilling moment for supporters.

Fans expressed their joy and support, with one saying, “Can’t tell you how happy I am to see Malacia,” and many spotting him in the lineup for medals.

Throughout the season, Malacia’s absence was noted, emphasized by ten Hag in a recent interview with Voetbal International.

“Tyrell Malacia didn’t play a single minute of football this season,” ten Hag noted. “In fact, he didn’t even spend a single moment out on the training pitch. We signed him as our backup for Luke Shaw.”

In the same interview, ten Hag praised Shaw, acknowledging his high skill level but also his challenging injury history. “Luke Shaw is the best left back in the world,” he stated. “This guy is so good. But he has suffered a horrible injury at the start of his career and because of this, he will never be able to play 60 games per season. The injuries have been really crazy.”

As the United team celebrated their recent FA Cup win, Malacia’s presence was a highlight, igniting hopes among fans and teammates that he will return to the field next season, ready to help the team achieve success again.