Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is expected to miss around a month after suffering a right knee ligament injury on his competitive FC Porto debut.

Smalling’s Porto debut ends early

Smalling joined Porto as a free agent on 30 September, signing until June 2027 with an option for a further season.

The injury is an early setback following his eagerly anticipated return to European football.

The centre-back made his competitive debut against Académico de Viseu in Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-final. He started the 1-0 victory but was substituted in the 54th minute after striker Mohamed Bouldini fell into his right knee during a challenge.

One-month absence expected after knee diagnosis

Porto confirmed that Smalling had sustained “an injury to the medial collateral ligament of his right knee”. The former United man began treatment on Thursday and “should be sidelined for a period of one month” (via Record).

That projected recovery period rules him out of Saturday’s home league match against Estoril and is likely to keep him unavailable for most of November.

From Old Trafford title winner to Porto recruit

Manchester United agreed to sign Smalling from Fulham in January 2010, with the defender moving to Old Trafford that summer for an undisclosed fee reported to be around £7 million.

He registered 323 competitive appearances and 18 goals during a decade with United. Smalling won the Premier League in 2010/11 and 2012/13, the FA Cup in 2015/16, and the League Cup and Europa League in 2016/17.

The Englishman joined Roma on a season-long loan in August 2019 before completing a permanent transfer in October 2020 for an initial €15 million. He made 155 appearances, scored 10 goals and helped the Italian side win the 2021/22 Europa Conference League.

Smalling moved to Al-Fayha in September 2024 and recorded 67 appearances and four goals for the Saudi club. He returned to European football with Porto following his departure as a free agent in 2026.

A return towards the end of November is now the realistic target, provided Smalling’s treatment progresses in line with Porto’s initial expectations.

Final Thoughts

• Smalling suffered a medial collateral ligament injury on his competitive Porto debut.
• The former United defender is expected to be unavailable for around one month.
• He has begun treatment and is likely to target a return late in November.

Featured image by Yasser Bakhsh via Getty Images

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