Now only five days away from their season-opener against Manchester City, Manchester United chiefs are actively scouring the market for reinforcements.
Erik ten Hag saw his squad bolstered with the additions of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro last month. However, the latter has since sustained an injury that will keep him sidelined for around three months.
Lisandro Martinez is due to return to Carrington this week after his post-Copa America break, and he’ll be hoping he’s granted significantly better luck on the injury front in comparison to what he endured last season. Harry Maguire was absent from the Liverpool defeat through precaution, while Victor Lindelof only lasted 45 minutes after picking up a slight knock.
As such, another centre-half is really a non-negotiable for INEOS before deadline day, or else they risk United’s season derailing the same way it did when the crisis struck in 2023/2024.
United hoped to keep Yoro’s layoff ‘under wraps’
In line with that, United reportedly (per The Athletic) hoped to keep the extent of Yoro’s issue – a metatarsal fracture – relatively quiet. Not only because the youngster has been deemed a ‘shining symbol of the new ownership’, and so his absence consequently ‘punctures the optimism’ heading into a new term, but also due to the club being locked in negotiations with Bayern Munich.
It’s no secret that United have been hot in pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt for over a month now, and senior figures harboured concerns that their ‘bargaining position’ could be damaged if the Bundesliga outfit learnt of United’s demand to sanction another arrival.
Alas, footage of Yoro in a protective boot and on crutches circulated on social media last week. It was quickly followed by reports of his injury and expected layoff, leading United to concede defeat and confirm the prognosis themselves.
