There will be another new addition to the French team during this international break. Injured in the right knee, Ibrahima Konaté was forced to forfeit the next four Nations League matches and was sent back to Madrid for treatment, suffering from a sprained knee. To compensate for this absence, the Blues staff did not go far, to the other side of Clairefontaine. “ He is replaced by Leny Yoro, who is at the CNF with the Espoirs », indicated this morning the FFF press release. The Mancunian receives his very first call-up to the A.
Accustomed to the youth selections (U17, U18, U19 and U21 and the Olympic team), Yoro therefore joins the small group of first ropers for this gathering, in the same way as Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), Jacquet (Liverpool), Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), Lucas Da Cunha (Como), Esteban Lepaul (Stade Rennais), and even Jean Butez (Como), called to the rescue after Robin’s withdrawal Risser. The process of integrating a regular member of the Espoirs is not illogical. Didier Deschamps did it several times before Zidane, the timing may surprise more and provoke reactions on social networks in particular.
Lacking playing time at MU
He hasn’t played much this season with Manchester United. Starting against the weak Sabah team in the Champions League (4-0) and during the stunning home defeat against Brighton in the League Cup (2-3), the 20-year-old defender had to settle for crumbs in the Premier League. He only came off the bench twice in five days to accumulate 22 minutes on the pitch, as a right back and as a central hinge. After a good run at the end of winter, he had already seen his time weaken last spring during the final sprint.
“ Leny is only 20 years old, he has a fantastic future ahead of him and a lot of potential. He learns, he progressessaid Michael Carrick last week at a press conference after the Red Devils’ draw (1-1) against Fulham. Playing as a central defender at this club at such a young age is a big challenge. It’s a role he is fully capable of taking on. I don’t worry. I think he’s doing a lot of really good things and that’s part of the learning. Sometimes it’s at 20 years old, sometimes we see players start to flourish at 22, 23 or 24 years old. There is therefore no age limit. He just has to keep progressing. We have a lot of confidence in him. »
Called when least expected
Yoro has long been considered a very promising element in his position. From his first years in the first team at LOSC, where he made his first appearances in Ligue 1 at the age of 16, the native of Saint-Maurice was promised a great future, to be seen very high. Courted by PSG and Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, he finally joined MU for €62 million where he was not helped by irregular results, the context around the club and injuries. Finally, when we least expected it, Zidane preferred him to others like Jaydee Canvot (Crystal Palace), Christian Mawissa (Monaco), Joan Gadou (Borussia Dortmund) or even Ismaëlo Ganiou (Lens).
