United coaches praise star for response to latest setback, teammates are in awe of his talent – report

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro’s response to his poor performances prove INEOS were wise to sanction a big-money move for the French starlet, despite these recent struggles. “It shows he cares” Yoro only turned 20 last month, a relative baby in defender’s years. But the £52 million deal United struck with LOSC Lille to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer of 2024 ramped up the the expectations on a player still learning his craft. Disaster struck almost immediately, however, as Yoro suffered a serious foot injury during pre-season, ruling him out for three months with a fractured metatarsal. Confronted with the first major setback of his fledging career, in a new country and league, he was then subject to a managerial change — Ruben Amorim arriving  to replace Erik ten Hag — and a switch in system — from a 4-2-3-1 formation to the Portuguese coach’s trademark 3-4-2-1. All while still waiting to make his competitive debut in a Red shirt, which only came in December 2024 as a substitute against Arsenal. It’s natural, therefore, that 2025 has been something of a mixed bag for Yoro, with the highs and lows one would expect from a youngster getting to grips with the most difficult league in world football. Leny Yoro Season 25/26 stats MatchesGoalsAssists Yellow cardsMinutes played 170101006 Sources at Old Trafford describe his recent dip is viewed as  “nothing out of the ordinary for such a young player”, The Athletic reveals.  The 20-year-old defender has been relegated to the bench this month after poor displays against Crystal Palace and Everton in November. At Selhurst Park, he was in tears after being substituted at half-time as he struggled to deal with the physicality of his compatriot, Jean-Philippe Mateta. After the match, Amorim revealed Yoro can be prone to overthinking, allowing one mistake to engender another — but diagnosed this as a positive as much as a negative. “He makes a mistake, and then he struggles. He wants to do everything so well. He’s growing, in a moment where everyone here is growing, with games and with setbacks, it’s not easy for him as a young guy. He cannot show that to the people, the way he came to the bench (after being replaced against Palace), he knows that. On the good side, it shows he cares.” And it’s this personal culpability which is the biggest indicator Yoro will make good on United’s investment in him in the long run: he cares too much to allow himself to fail. Extra Sessions The Athletic details how the defender’s work ethic at Carrington is superb and “does not go unnoticed” by his coaches. “Yoro’s response to his recent struggles has been to put extra sessions in the gym, alongside external work away from the club, training with Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo, a personal coach also used by United team-mates Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee,” the report states.  “The physicality and intensity of Premier League football has proved challenging for the Frenchman at times, particularly to begin with, which was partly why Yoro signed up to a tailored strength, conditioning and nutrition programme earlier this year.” There is no doubting Yoro’s talents. After his arrival at the club, his teammates describe how they “could tell how talented [he was] simply from how he worked with the ball and the way he moved across a pitch.” And, standing 6’4 with good mobility and agility, the framework is there for him to develop the requisite physicality to cope with the demands of Premier League football, one his extra training demonstrates he is intent on building. Yoro arrived at the Theatre of Dreams with the reputation as one of Europe’s premier defensive prospects — and nothing over the past eighteen months has dampened these expectations. The £52m will prove a bargain in the long run — he cares too much for there to be any other conclusion. Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.