Leny Yoro says he has no excuses after injuries disrupted his start at Manchester United. The defender is backing himself to push on in 2026/27, after a metatarsal problem in his first pre-season kept him out until December and a first two years at Old Trafford that brought 66 senior appearances, including just 30 Premier League starts across two campaigns.
Yoro’s own case for progress
Yoro did not hide behind the injury record. “I have no excuses, but I had injuries, and like I say, I hope I'm not going to be injured this season, and I will show to everyone what I can do,” he told manchestereveningnews.co.uk.
He also put the focus on his age. “Sometimes people forget I'm still 20, still have to learn, still have to improve,” Yoro said. “I know my potential. I know I can learn a lot, I can improve a lot, so I hope this season is going to be a big, big step for me as well.”
That is a fair way to frame him. Lille sold a defender with obvious talent, but United have not yet had the uninterrupted run of availability that turns promise into reliability. Yoro has already produced a recent high rating of 7.9, and he has handled full 90-minute league outings in that spell. The consistency is still the part to prove, with his recent ratings dropping to 5.9.
Right-back work, centre-back future
Pre-season has given Yoro another wrinkle. He has started all three pre-season fixtures at right-back so far, although he was clear that centre-back remains his position.
“Centre-back is still my position. If I can be on the pitch, right-back or centre-back, if I can play, that's the best for me,” he said.
That is sensible from both sides. United get a defender who can fill a gap, and Yoro gets minutes after a stop-start first spell in England. The main takeaway is still the same: he wants a bigger role, but he is asking to earn it through fitness and performances rather than reputation.
He has already shown enough to suggest the next step is realistic. Whether it arrives in one go is another matter, but the platform is better now than it was when injury kept him sidelined until December.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
