Malacia makes four straight starts for first time since 2022

Tyrell Malacia has started four consecutive matches for the first time since September 2022 as he rebuilds his career with FC Cincinnati following his departure from Manchester United. In an interview published by BBC Sport on Saturday, the Dutch left-back discussed his return to regular football and the prolonged spell outside United's first-team plans that preceded his move to Major League Soccer.

The 27-year-old reached that run of starts in Cincinnati's 2-1 victory over DC United on 21 October. He joined the club after his United contract expired in the summer. Malacia told the BBC that playing consistently had made him happy again and that, after so much time without matches, he wanted as much game time as possible.

His United career began with a £13m transfer from Feyenoord and 39 appearances in his first season under Erik ten Hag. He played only 11 more times for the club over the following three seasons. Two major knee operations kept him out for around a year and a half before he returned to competitive action in November 2024.

Malacia subsequently spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at PSV Eindhoven. After returning to United, he was among five players separated from Ruben Amorim's squad ahead of pre-season. In the BBC interview, he described training with youth teams to maintain his condition after the others left, and said he did not know who had made the decision to exclude him.

He also discussed being unable to leave in January, when Michael Carrick explained that United needed sufficient squad cover. Malacia said that was difficult to accept while he was receiving little playing time. Nevertheless, he said he did not regret joining United, reflecting positively on his first season and on the staff and players he met there.

Cincinnati are eighth in the Eastern Conference with four regular-season games remaining, according to the BBC, with the top nine reaching the play-offs. Malacia has signed for the 2027 sprint season and has an option to remain for 2027-28, when the schedule aligns with Europe. He said he wanted to contribute the experience gained at United, Feyenoord and PSV to his new club.