According to ESPN, Baleba has returned to training and is close to making his Manchester United debut.

The midfielder joined from Brighton this summer for £70 million ($94.3 million) but has been sidelined since suffering an injury during pre-season.

Baleba has returned to training on the grass at Manchester United's Carrington training base, and Carrick believes the 22-year-old will be ready to play after the international break.

Carrick said: "He'll be back with the squad in the next week or so. After the international break, he should be in good shape."

Baleba's former club Brighton will visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for the third round of the League Cup. The match comes too soon for the Cameroon international, but Carrick is looking forward to integrating Manchester United's summer signing into the squad.

Carrick said: "He arrived at the club with an injury, and since then he's been very eager to get on the pitch and participate in full training with his teammates."

"He's an excellent player, and that's why we signed him. He provides good balance to our midfield setup."

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