Axel Tuanzebe sues Manchester United over alleged medical negligence

Former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe has filed a lawsuit against his former club, accusing them of medical negligence that allegedly worsened a spinal injury and derailed his professional career.

According to Sky News and The Telegraph, the 27-year-old Burnley centre-back is seeking damages exceeding £1 million, claiming that Manchester United’s medical staff failed to diagnose and treat his spinal stress fractures properly between 2019 and 2022.

The court filings reveal that Tuanzebe first experienced lower back pain after a League Cup match against Colchester United in December 2019. Subsequent scans in January 2020 reportedly showed pars interarticularis fractures, a form of stress fracture often caused by repetitive strain in elite athletes.

However, Tuanzebe alleges that the club’s medical team did not refer him to a specialist sports spinal surgeon, who would have prescribed at least 12 weeks of rest. Instead, the defender was allegedly rushed back into play, featuring for United’s development squad just two months later, and later making a Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in October 2020.

The lawsuit, lodged at London’s High Court, asserts that this premature return caused the fracture to deteriorate into bilateral grade 4 fractures, leaving Tuanzebe with chronic spinal issues and ongoing pain. “The claimant’s symptoms significantly progressed. Had the claimant been appropriately rested, his left-sided fracture would not have become chronic, and the right-sided fracture would have been avoided altogether,” the court filing reads.

Tuanzebe’s health reportedly deteriorated further during his loan spell at Napoli in January 2022, when scans revealed the severity of his back condition. The lawsuit claims that despite his complaints about severe pain and difficulty performing basic tasks, United’s medical team, led by Dr. Steve McNally, the club’s then-senior doctor, failed to take adequate action.

Dr. McNally allegedly downplayed the issue, suggesting it was “disc irritation” that could resolve through physiotherapy. He left United later that year after 16 years of service.

By July 2022, Tuanzebe’s spinal fractures had advanced significantly. Further scans in August confirmed the chronic damage, though the player was still included in United’s 2022 pre-season tour of Thailand. He managed only five games during a subsequent loan spell at Stoke City before his release in 2023.

After a short stint with Ipswich Town, where he made 45 appearances, Tuanzebe joined Burnley in the summer of 2025. He missed the first six league games of the season while recovering but has since started regularly for the Clarets.

This case represents one of the most significant medical negligence claims ever filed against a Premier League club, potentially setting a precedent for how player injuries and medical responsibilities are managed in top-flight football.

Tuanzebe, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Greater Manchester, spent 17 years at Manchester United, captained their Under-18s as a first-year scholar, and made 37 senior appearances before leaving the club.

Manchester United has declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.

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