Manuel Ugarte officially releases statement following ligament injury

Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte is set for a long period on the sidelines after sustaining a knee ligament injury in action at the World Cup.

The 25-year-old, who signed for the Red Devils in 2024, fell awkwardly after going in for a tackle on Spain midfielder Pedri. A distraught Ugarte was then stretchered off, head in hands, before Uruguay’s World Cup exit was confirmed with a 1-0 loss.

No timeframe for a return has been confirmed, but a transfer for Ugarte will now be impossible this summer.

Following Manchester United’s statement on the injury, in which they wished Ugarte a speedy recovery and promised to support him “every step of the way,” the Uruguayan has now spoken out on social media, with a post on X.

“A few days have passed since everything happened. Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country’s history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my teammates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that’s the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know.
It’s up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Uruguay and Manchester United for being there for me from the moment it happened.
A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time. I’ll be back stronger.”

It’s an extremely heartfelt statement from Ugarte, who will undoubtedly be feeling distraught at the injury, his nation being knocked out of the World Cup, and his chances of a transfer being shot.

He’ll hope to return as soon as possible, and make a step towards getting his career back on track.