Leny Yoro Injury Concerns Reinforce Need For Another Defensive Signing
Manchester United fans will have felt a bad sense of deja vu last night as Leny Yoro limped off the pitch at the So Fi stadium. The French defender seemed to injure his ankle, leaving Erik ten Hag sweating over his fitness in the next 24 hours, with tests expected to take place. The injury has reinforced the need for the club to get another centre-back signing over the line in the coming days.
A deal for Matthijs De Ligt is still in the balance, with personal terms not expected to be an issue. The Dutch defender is waiting on Manchester United, but the two clubs remain apart on valuations. Bayern are holding out for £42m, while the Red’s are not currently willing to pay more than £34m plus add-ons. Last nights Yoro blow will have reinforced Erik ten Hag’s injury worries, as without Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez to choose from, he again had to turn to Jonny Evans.
Yoro Injury Concern:
Ten Hag eluded to the fact Yoro’s issue is a pre-existing one, referencing the fact the Frenchman could only take part in 50% of training in recent days. This may be a situation that angers a lot of United fans, with a large part of the criticism’s last season stemming from the Dutch manager’s persistence with playing players who were clearly forcing themselves to play through injury. If Yoro’s injury is long-term, the manager, along with the medical team at the club, are likely to take the brunt of the blame.
Rasmus Hojlund also trudged off, but his injury is not expected to be too serious. The Danish forward felt his hamstring minutes after opening the score with his first goal as a number nine for the club, but was seen walking freely enough through the mixed zone after the game.
The belief is that a centre-back needs to be sold before United commits to buying another one. At present, Lindelof is anticipated to be the one out the door. The Swede has rumoured interest from Fenerbache, although no sort of bid or personal terms have been agreed as of yet.
Harry Maguire has made clear that he feels he is part of the future at the club and is, at present, unlikely to leave. United are unlikely to complete a deal for Jarrad Branthwaite this summer, with Everton remaining strong on their £70 million valuation. At present, De Ligt is the most likely signing, and last night’s issues may now see the deal sped up.
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