Ruben Amorim is excited for “special talent” Leny Yoro’s Manchester United debut, which could come against Arsenal on Wednesday.
The French defender is yet to make an appearance since his £52million move from Lille in the summer after a foot injury in pre-season.
Yoro, 19, returned to training in October and is now in line to make his debut at the Emirates.
“Maybe Leny Yoro is going be in the squad,” Amorim said in his pre-match news conference. “I feel he is in a good moment now, his fitness is better.”
Landing the centre-back was seen as a real coup by United after interest from Real Madrid, with the club’s sporting director Dan Ashworth describing the centre-back as “one of the most exciting young defenders in world football”.
Amorim said: “He is a special talent, we have to be careful in the first moment. We didn’t have too many training [sessions] together. He has been training with a small group of players.
“He is really fast, a modern defender. He will be good when we want to press high and you leave a lot of strikers in this league one against one, he can manage that. He is very good with the ball so I am very excited.
“We have to be careful, we have to manage the load and minute in the beginning but I am really excited to see Leny Yoro playing.”
🙏 “He is the future of our team.”
Ruben appreciates @NMazraoui97 ahead of our trip to Arsenal 🫶#MUFC || #PL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 2, 2024
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Amorim chant
United are unbeaten in Amorim’s three games so far, with fans serenading the Portuguese boss after Sunday’s 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford.
“I don’t like my chant,” Amorim told BBC Sport when asked about the connection with the fans.
“I don’t feel embarrassed – but I am the coach, they have to chant for the players. It is not a good thing for me,
“I understand and appreciate the connection with the supporters but I want them to support the team and the players because they are on the pitch, I am outside.
“I am really honoured and I feel a connection with the supporters but we know we need results to maintain that.”
Amorim: Arsenal biggest test yet
Amorim’s first game was a 1-1 draw against Ipswich before overseeing wins over Bodo/Glimt and Everton at Old Trafford, with a trip to the Emirates undoubtedly his biggest challenge yet.
The former Sporting boss said: “Arsenal are the best team we face by far [so far]. The last game yesterday was really tough. It was 4-0 but I see the game how I see it.
“Everything now is a test without so much minutes to train, trying to manage minutes for players.
“Some players have to be off after 60 or 70 minutes, everything is a test.
“It’s hard for us at United to say but [Arsenal] are at a different point in their team.”
‘Important to be brave’
On how the Red Devils will approach the game, Amorim added: “It’s important to be brave. Not pressing all the time higher, we have to understand the moments of the game, we need to have the ball – that’s a key point.
“We want to dominate some moments of the game because we know in this match it’s hard to control to whole game.
“If I have to say something it is we have to be brave and to play the game.”
