Manchester United defender Leny Yoro closing in on return to fitness ahead of Arsenal game

Leny Yoro is in contention to be part of the Manchester United squad to play Arsenal on Wednesday, Ruben Amorim has said.

The central defender is yet to make his competitive United debut after fracturing his metatarsal during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

The 19-year-old returned to first team training in early November but has not yet been included in a matchday squad for United since his summer transfer from Lille.

“Maybe Leny Yoro will be with the squad, he is in a good moment and his fitness will be better,” United head coach Ruben Amorim said in his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“He is a special talent, we have to be careful in this first moment. We didn’t have many training sessions together, he is really fast, a modern defender, that is good when you want to press high and you leave strikers one against one, he can manage that.

“He is really good with the ball, I am really excited, I have to be careful to manage his load, but I am really excited to see him playing.”

Yoro was United’s most expensive summer signing, joining from Lille in an initial £52million ($67.9m) deal.

Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation has seen Matthijs de Ligt deployed as the most central of his three defenders, with Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez lining up alongside the Dutch international in Sunday’s four-goal victory over Everton.

Martinez is suspended for Wednesday’s match at Arsenal due to an accumulation of yellow cards while Victor Lindelof is injured, with Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw among the other options available to Amorim for defensive selection.

Yoro is the latest United player to return from a long-term absence, with Shaw and Tyrell Malacia also recovering from injury layoffs.

(Top image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)