Manchester United fans have been eagerly awaiting news about their young defender, Leny Yoro. The 18-year-old sensation, who joined the Red Devils in a £52 million move from Ligue 1 club Lille back in mid-July, has been sidelined due to a foot injury. However, recent updates from interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy suggest that Yoro is making significant strides towards his return.
Van Nistelrooy has confirmed that the team is working hard to get Yoro back into first-team action 'as quickly as possible'. This comes after the young defender was spotted training with the team recently. Despite being one of Europe's most promising defenders and becoming one of history's most expensive centre-backs at just 18 years old, Yoro has yet to make his competitive debut for Manchester United due to an unfortunate foot injury sustained during a pre-season friendly match against Arsenal.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United Interim Manager, said:
'He’s been managed very well after his injury in pre-season, Obviously, it was going to be a long one and it’s a big moment for him, that first time he’s back in team training. We’re going to get him back partially over the coming weeks and look to get him on board as quickly as possible.'
Stepping up rehabilitation
Yoro didn't get a chance to feature competitively under former coach Erik ten Hag but he has been stepping up his rehabilitation efforts in recent weeks. His return was warmly welcomed by Van Nistelrooy and teammates alike - evident from a video clip showing him receiving applause and playful slaps from fellow players at Carrington.
According to, Yoro participated in group training for around 15 minutes before moving on for further individual work on another pitch.
Despite this progress, it seems unlikely that we will see Yoro feature in United’s upcoming Europa League fixture with PAOK as the club remains cautious about rushing their big-money signing back into action before he is fully fit. However, there are high hopes that he will make an impression over the coming weeks when new head coach Ruben Amorim officially begins work at the Theatre of Dreams on November 11.
Other injury updates
In other news, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia are still working their way back from injuries and have yet to return to first-team training. On a brighter note, Mason Mount has been put through his paces at Carrington this week. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder is hopeful of making a contribution in the upcoming match at the Theatre of Dreams on Thursday night.
Van Nistelrooy provided updates on Mainoo, Shaw, Maguire and Malacia's recovery progress stating that each case was different with Tyrell being furthest along in his recovery.
United had experimented with several centre-back combinations during a challenging start to the campaign under Ten Hag. Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt all got minutes at the heart of defence. However, it seems Martinez and De Ligt have solidified their positions as they've been selected for United’s last five matches across all competitions. They are likely to continue their run in Van Nistelrooy’s XI against Leicester in this weekend's Premier League fixture.
