Leny Yoro appears to be closing in on his return to action after being pictured in Manchester United first-team training this morning.
The 18-year-old, widely regarded as one of the finest young defenders in European football, joined United in a £52million move from Ligue 1 outfit Lille back in mid-July.
The deal saw Yoro become the most expensive footballer aged 18 or younger and one of the most expensive centre-backs in the history of the game.
But Yoro broke his foot during United’s pre-season friendly match with Arsenal, just a fortnight after signing for the Red Devils, and the teenager is still yet to make a competitive appearance for the club.
It means Yoro did not even get the chance to feature competitively under Erik ten Hag but the France Under-23 international has been stepping up his rehabilitation in recent weeks and was welcomed back into training by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy today.
A video from Carrington shows Yoro given a round of applause before receiving a few playful slaps from his team-mates, who were clearly delighted to have the centre-half back in the fold.
According to Sky Sports, Yoro took part in the group session for around 15 minutes before moving to a separate training pitch for further individual work.
United’s upcoming Europa League tie with PAOK is likely to come too soon for Yoro, with the Old Trafford giants keen to wrap the ex-Lille man up in cotton wool to avoid the risk of further injury.
The youngster will no doubt hope to make an impression over the coming weeks, with new head coach Ruben Amorim set to officially begin work at the Theatre of Dreams on November 11.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 19, left-back Luke Shaw, 29, and central defender Harry Maguire, 31, are working their way back from injuries and are still yet to return to first-team training.
However, Mason Mount has been put through his paces at Carrington this week and the 25-year-old attacking midfielder will be hopeful of making a contribution at the Theatre of Dreams on Thursday night.
Prior to being sacked, Ten Hag provided a positive update on Yoro’s recovery, claiming the Frenchman was heading ‘in the right direction’ with his rehabilitation.
‘He is doing very well,’ the former United head coach told reporters.
‘It is very pleasing that his rehab is going in the right direction and I expect him soon, but what I mean by soon, is that he is now in the right planning process.
‘He is in the right spot and he will return as soon as possible into the squad and then the team training.’
United tried a number of centre-back combinations across a miserable start to the campaign under Ten Hag, with Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt all getting minutes at the heart of defence.
But Martinez and De Ligt have been selected as the pairing for United’s last five matches in all competitions and are likely to continue their run in Van Nistelrooy’s XI at home to Leicester in the Premier League this weekend.
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