Manchester United defensive duo Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro were notably absent from Wednesday morning’s training session at Carrington, sparking real concerns about their fitness. This time next week, the Red Devils will be hours away from facing Tottenham Hotspur in a crunch Europa League final in Bilbao, where the stakes are colossal.
De Ligt was forced to leave the pitch during United’s 4-3 loss to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium earlier in May due to a suspected knee injury. This marked his first start since bouncing back from an ankle issue that had ruled him out of another chunk of the season.
United head coach Ruben Amorim downplayed the severity of De Ligt’s injury, describing it as “not a big issue”.
However, at the same time, the Portuguese boss confirmed his absence from the 4-1 victory against Athletic Club at Old Trafford and the subsequent 2-0 defeat to West Ham United last week.
Yoro had to be substituted in the second half of Sunday’s loss against the Hammers after sustaining an injury to his left foot.
He was later seen limping away from Old Trafford but didn’t require crutches or any aid, which was viewed as a slight boost.
In his post-match press conference, Amorim stated that it was too early to provide a detailed update on Yoro’s condition.
“We have to assess Leny in a better way tomorrow. He felt something, but it could be a small thing,” Amorim commented.
United are set to face Spurs in the Europa League final at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on May 21.
Before that crucial encounter, they will journey to Chelsea for their second-to-last Premier League match on Friday night, before shifting their attention to the Spanish showdown.
Yoro’s recent performances have been stellar, and his potential absence from the final would be a significant setback.
His display against Athletic at Old Trafford last Thursday night was arguably one of his finest in a United shirt since his transfer from Lille last summer.
Meanwhile, fellow defender Jonny Evans participated in team training after a spell on the sidelines. Toby Collyer was also seen among the main group.
Ayden Heaven continues to be absent, while Diogo Dalot engaged in an individual training session elsewhere at Carrington.
Joshua Zirkzee has also been individually training on the pitch but is considered highly doubtful to feature again for United this term.
This article was first published on the Manchester Evening News