Axel Tuanzebe Sues Manchester United Over Injury Negligence Claim
Sports Updated: 12 November 2025 19:32 EAT
Former Manchester United star Axel Tuanzebe
Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has launched legal action against the club, seeking more than £1 million in damages. The 27-year-old claims Manchester United failed to treat his spinal injury “promptly and appropriately,” resulting in long-term physical problems that have hindered his football career and reduced his potential earnings.
Court documents filed in the UK High Court allege that Tuanzebe suffered a left-sided pars fracture—a stress fracture in the lower spine—in January 2020 while playing for the club. The injury reportedly developed into a more severe bilateral condition by July 2022, which he says could have been avoided with proper medical care. Tuanzebe contends that the club’s medical team failed to refer him to a specialist spinal surgeon or provide the necessary rest and rehabilitation.
The defender, who came through Manchester United’s youth academy after joining at the age of eight, argues that he can no longer play “without restriction or discomfort.” He says the negligence has left him struggling with persistent pain, limiting his ability to perform at a professional level and affecting his career progression since leaving the club in 2023.
Tuanzebe, who has also played for Aston Villa, Stoke City, and Ipswich Town, is represented by legal and medical experts who claim his case highlights the importance of appropriate injury management in elite football. They assert that his situation demonstrates how poor medical oversight can have lasting consequences on players’ health and livelihoods.
Manchester United have declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing ongoing legal proceedings. The case has drawn widespread attention in the football community, as it could set an important precedent regarding how Premier League clubs manage player injuries and safeguard long-term welfare.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD