Man United's injury issues continue as new star seen on crutches

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro could very well miss the opening stages of the 2024/25 season due to an injury. The 18-year-old central defender made his debut with the Red Devils during a friendly against Rangers on July 20. The match came just two days after he officially signed with the team.

Yoro then traveled with his new teammates to the United States and featured against Arsenal on Saturday. He, however, had to be substituted in the first half of the matchup because of an ankle issue. The defender walked off of the SoFi Stadium pitch at the time with a noticeable limp.

He has since not been able to train with his teammates and will almost certainly miss United’s final two preseason fixtures in America. They first face Real Betis on Wednesday and then finish off their tour against Liverpool on August 3rd.

The highly-rated teen was then seen on Tuesday evening getting on the team’s bus with crutches and wearing a protective boot. United has resisted making an official comment on the injury so far as they continued to evaluate the problem. Nevertheless, manager Erik ten Hag is expected to address the situation during a regularly scheduled press conference on Thursday.

Leny Yoro injury comes 10 days before chance at a trophy

United recently splashed out $67 million to sign Yoro from Lille on July 18th. The massive fee was around double what Real Madrid was willing to pay. The Red Devils wanted to act quickly in the deal to secure the signing before any other top club could pounce.

Despite his age, Yoro arrived as the natural replacement for veteran Raphael Varane in the center of United’s defense. The 31-year-old Frenchman recently joined Italian side Como after leaving Manchester as a free agent. Yoro is one of the top teenage defensive prospects in all of Europe.

The injury is a potentially massive blow to Ten Hag and United. After completing their USA preseason tour, the Red Devils face rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield on Aug. 10. They will then kick off their 2024/25 Premier League campaign six days later against Fulham. It remains unclear if Yoro will recover in time for these matches.

Red Devils suffered the most injuries of any Premier League club last season

United fans were hoping that the club would shake off their injury issues from a season ago. The club suffered the most injuries of any other English top-flight team during the 2023/24 season. As a result, Ten Hag struggled to get the most out of his squad and the Red Devils finished eighth in the final standings. It was the worst Premier League showing for the club in the modern era.

Yoro, however, is not the Red Devils’ only injury concern at the moment. Star striker Rasmus Hojlund required a substitution during the Arsenal fixture as well. The Dane scored his team’s lone goal on the night before departing early with an apparent hamstring problem. Nevertheless, Hojlund’s setback is not as bad as Yoro’s issue.

The 2024/25 season has not officially started and United is already dealing with potentially series injuries. Similar setbacks are up essentially across the board at other teams, but the Red Devils have had some undeniably bad luck in recent months. Ten Hag will be hoping that injuries do not affect his plans once again and his squad can stay relatively healthy throughout the upcoming campaign.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.