Erik ten Hag is closer to unleashing his dream partnership
Man Utd could soon welcome back a key player after his injury ordeal and it could have a huge impact.
Manchester United could soon be strengthened by the return of Leny Yoro after he posted an encouraging injury update at the start of the week.
The French teenager has yet to make his competitive debut for United after he suffered a metatarsal fracture during a pre-season friendly against Arsenal on 28 July and underwent surgery at the start of August. The 18-year-old was initially ruled out until November, and could return next month after he reached the 'significant milestone' of training on grass again.
United won't rush Yoro back after such a severe setback so early on in his professional career, though there is real excitement about his potential return at a time when they have lacked consistency in the backline.
They spent an initial £52 million to bring Yoro to the club amid serious interest from Real Madrid and sources close to the deal insisted the teenager was United's top centre-back target for the summer. It was only after his setback that United moved for Matthijs de Ligt, though they were open to signing two new central defenders at the start of the window as well.
Erik ten Hag is clearly a huge fan of De Ligt, who he worked with closely at Ajax, but he envisaged a defensive partnership of both Yoro and Lisandro Martinez to take his side to another level in his third season at the club. Yoro is not only viewed as someone who has the same ball-playing ability as the Argentine, but a young prodigy who can be moulded into his ideal partner in the years to come.
It might be a while before United's dream partnership finally takes shape on the pitch, but Yoro's pending return is a reminder of the fierce competition for places at Old Trafford and the challenge both De Ligt and Harry Maguire face to secure a starting spot themselves.
De Ligt's stock is at a high after his heroic performance against Brentford at the weekend, but it had been at a low following his terrible performances against both Tottenham and Porto prior to the international break. Maguire deservedly started against Aston Villa following his dramatic equaliser in Portugal, and would no doubt have kept his place last time out if he hadn't have suffered an injury blow at Villa Park.
It means De Ligt has a free run at nailing down a starting spot for now, but he will have to keep his performance levels high if he is to keep it ahead of both Maguire and Yoro when they are fully fit. With so many matches to come, there will no doubt be plenty of rotation in the weeks ahead and if any player underperforms they should pay the consequence of United's enviable squad depth.
Ten Hag is getting close to finally being able to unleash his dream defensive partnership. It is down to De Ligt or Maguire to prove it is already a reality.