Ruben Amorim: Leny Yoro set to be in Manchester United squad against Arsenal

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Ruben Amorim expects “special talent” Leny Yoro to be in the Manchester United squad for the first time against Arsenal on Wednesday.

The Red Devils are preparing to take on Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, where 19-year-old Yoro could make his long-awaited debut.

Yoro joined United in the summer from Lille in a €62 million deal, rising to €70 million, only to sustain a metatarsal injury in his second pre-season appearance.

The French teenager underwent surgery in early August and returned to training on November 6, with the defender set to be involved in the squad for the first time this midweek.

“Maybe Leny Yoro is going to be in the squad,” Amorim said. “I felt that he is in a good moment now, his fitness is better, so I think he’s going to be in the squad.

“I think he’s a special talent. We have to be careful in this first moment because we didn’t have too many trainings together, so he is training not alone but with a small group of players.

“He’s really fast, he’s a modern defender, and that is good when you want to press high and you leave a lot of strikers, especially in this league, one against one. I think he can manage that. He is very good with the ball, so I am very excited.

“We have to careful, we have to manage the load and the minutes in the beginning, but I am really excited to see Leny Yoro playing.”

As well as the positive update on Yoro, Amorim confirmed that Bruno Fernandes will be available for the Emirates Stadium encounter.

The United skipper was substituted in the second half of Sunday’s 4-0 win against Everton and was seen on the bench with ice on his left ankle.

“The rest I have to see it because some players were tired and we have to assess tomorrow in training,” Amorim said of the wider squad.

“(Fernandes) is fit to play, I see him already in this morning. He is fit to a play, a guy that doesn’t need a lot of rest, so he is prepared to play.”

Amorim previewed the Arsenal match at Old Trafford, unlike the standard procedure of hosting pre-match press conferences for domestic fixtures at United’s Carrington training ground.

“We had a meeting with all the staff, trying to connect everybody – the sports part with this facility,” Amorim explained.

“The people who are here are far from Carrington. You are trying to build a connection to be closer, Carrington and the stadium together.”

Amorim did a question and answer session as part of the visit in front of United employees, whose numbers have been cut by a quarter since Ineos became co-owners at the start of the year.

Asked about the importance of togetherness at the club, the head coach said: “That is something that you cannot buy, the pedigree and the size of the club. This is something we have to use.

“It is a key point for us, also improving the youth teams, creating a connection between everybody to put this club in the place that it needs to be.”

 

That togetherness is being tested by the owners, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers the subject of anger as fans protested last week’s controversial ticket plans on Sunday.

United’s fans made their fury known as well as their backing of Amorim, whose name was chanted to ‘Give It Up’ by KC and The Sunshine Band at the loudest and most frequent level of his three games in charge.

“I don’t like my chant,” the head coach said. “I don’t like it. I feel a little bit… not embarrassed, but because I’m the coach they have to chant for the players and for the club.

“It’s not a good thing for me. I understand and I really appreciate the connection with the supporters, but I want them to support the team and the players because they are on the pitch, I’m outside the pitch.

“But I am really honoured about that and I feel a connection with the supporters, but we know we need results to maintain that.”