Legal Action Against Manchester United: Tuanzebe’s Battle with Clinical Negligence

Sky News has reported on a significant legal case filed at London’s High Court, in which Axel Tuanzebe accuses Manchester United of clinical negligence related to stress fractures in his spine. The player claims that this negligence has resulted in avoidable pain that has adversely affected his career prospects.

The lawsuit asserts, “Appropriate treatment plans would, on the balance of probabilities, have resulted in the claimant avoiding the pain and discomfort set out below, enabling him to play professional football at an elite level without restriction or impediment.”

Despite continuing to compete at an elite level, Tuanzebe argues that his injuries have impacted both his career trajectory and earnings. Having joined Burnley on a free transfer in July following the expiration of his contract with Ipswich Town, he has made only 142 career appearances by the age of 27. Although he secured a contract with a Premier League club, he has struggled to be a regular starter since the onset of his injuries.

Tuanzebe first suffered a left-sided pars fracture in January 2020, which became chronic by July 2022, coinciding with the development of a right-sided pars fracture. The crux of the issue revolves around the interpretation of an MRI scan conducted at the beginning of 2020, following a hamstring injury sustained at the end of 2019.

While the initial pars fracture was identified, Tuanzebe and his representatives contend that he was not referred to a specialist surgeon for the necessary 12 weeks of rest to facilitate healing. Instead, he returned to play at Premier League 2 level within a couple of months.

The lawsuit states, “It is the claimant’s case that the defendant [Manchester United] negligently failed to properly investigate the claimant’s pars fractures, neglected to ensure adequate rest, and failed to refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon.”

As a consequence, Tuanzebe’s condition worsened, leading to bilateral grade 4 fractures and a chronic left-sided spinal fracture. The suit claims that had he received proper rest, the left-sided pars fracture would not have advanced to a chronic state, nor would the right-sided fracture have occurred.

The case documents further indicate that the decision to allow Tuanzebe to train and play normally from February to March 2020 exacerbated his symptoms, which could have been mitigated through prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

By 2022, it is alleged that Manchester United’s then club doctor, Dr. Steve McNally, exhibited “no urgency” in ensuring Tuanzebe returned from a loan at Napoli for examination, despite being aware of his pain, dismissing the issue as less serious.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo but raised in Greater Manchester, Tuanzebe joined Manchester United’s academy at the age of eight. He was recognized as a generational talent, receiving the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2015. He made his senior debut in January 2017 and soon after won the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award.

Though successive loans presented opportunities, injuries limited his play, preventing him from exceeding 35 games in 18 months. Despite these challenges, he was offered a new contract with United in the summer of 2019 and captained the team in a Carabao Cup match at the age of 21. However, persistent stress fractures soon began to define his career.

Tuanzebe was released by Manchester United in 2023 after loan spells at Aston Villa, Napoli, and Stoke City, and he made 45 appearances for Ipswich over two seasons. He missed the first six Premier League games of the 2025-26 season while recovering from injury and rebuilding fitness but has since started each of Burnley’s last five matches. If he can maintain his fitness throughout the remainder of the season, he may still establish himself as a reliable defender in the top flight. The outcome of his lawsuit will reveal whether he receives any financial compensation from Manchester United.