United hit with devastating blow as key star suffers potential season-ending injury before Chelsea clash – report

Manchester United defender Leny Yoro is reportedly in line to miss Saturday’s meeting with Chelsea after sustaining a potential season-ending injury. Yoro sidelined Heading into the Chelsea game, Michael Carrick is dealing with a defensive crisis. United are looking to get back to winning ways after suffering a chastening 2-1 loss to Leeds earlier in the week. But Carrick will have to do it without the services of Harry Maguire or Lisandro Martinez. Maguire, who missed the meeting with Leeds due to the red card he picked up against Bournemouth, saw his ban extended by an additional game by the FA. Martinez was also given his marching orders vs. Leeds for ‘violent conduct’ after he was judged to have pulled Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair while the pair were contesting an aerial duel. With Maguire and Martinez unavailable, it appeared like Carrick had no choice but to deploy a centre-back pairing of Yoro and Ayden Heaven. However, according to Samuel Luckhurst of The Sun, Yoro has sustained an injury, ruling him out of the Chelsea game. Luckhurst wrote on X, “Leny Yoro believed to have suffered an injury and has not travelled with the Manchester United squad to London.” “United set to be without four of their five centre backs at Chelsea.” Leny Yoro believed to have suffered an injury and has not travelled with #mufc squad to London. United set to be without four of their five centre backs at Chelsea. — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) April 17, 2026 Even more concerning, Luckhurst notes that there are fears Yoro could be out for the remainder of the season. Yoro has made 29 Premier League appearances this term, helping United keep three clean sheets in that period. Travelling squad But it’s not all bad news ahead of the game. The Manchester Evening News has confirmed that Kobbie Mainoo has travelled with his teammates to the capital. Mainoo missed the Leeds game with a small injury sustained in training. Also included in the travelling squad are youngsters Shea Lacey and Tyler Fletcher. Here’s the confirmed travelling squad according to MEN: Goalkeepers: Lammens, Bayindir, Heaton, Mee. Defenders: Shaw, Dalot, Heaven, Mazraoui, Malacia. Midfielders: Fernandes, T. Fletcher, Mount, Mainoo, Ugarte, Casemiro. Attackers: Sesko, Cunha, Amad, Zirkzee, Mbeumo, Lacey. Chelsea vs. United kicks off at 20:00 BST. Featured image Justin Setterfield 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 Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!