Erik ten Hag hugely positive on Leny Yoro in latest injury update

Erik ten Hag has talked up the personality and mindset of summer signing Leny Yoro, with the teenager out injured but already rehabilitating as he pushes for a return.

The 18-year-old arrived from Lille in a £52m as Manchester United beat Real Madrid to the signing of the centre-back.

Red Devils fans were hugely excited to see the Frenchman in action but they will have to wait for his first team debut after he suffered a serious injury in a pre-season clash with Arsenal.

A statement from the club on Monday night confirmed that Yoro has undergone surgery for a foot injury and will be out for around three months.

It is a nightmare start to his time in England for the teenager, but Ten Hag says he has taken it well thanks to his mature attitude and has swiftly begun his rehab from the operation.

‘He expresses one of the reasons why we signed him,’ Ten Hag told Sky Sports. ‘Very mature, great personality, dealing with it, looking forward, be positive. He’s already started his rehab.

‘A fire is burning there. As I say, for his age, he is already very mature and very balanced. You don’t get him distracted. He knows what he wants he knows where he wants to go and I’m sure he will be returning as soon as possible to support the team and he will help the team winning games and winning trophies.’

The Dutchman said that personality, as shown by Yoro, is crucial to the team and squad he is trying to build at Old Trafford.

‘You need heart and you need head. In football both are very important,’ he said. ‘We need both things right to form a team. In the team you need different skillset, but personality, character, mentality are very important to construct a winning team.’

With Yoro unlikely to return until November, he looks set to miss at least the first 10 Premier League matches of Manchester United’s season.

After an injury-plagued campaign last time around it has already not been a great summer for the Red Devils on the fitness front, with Yoro not alone in being sidelined.

Rasmus Hojlund has picked up a hamstring problem and will miss the start of the season, Tyrell Malacia is still not fit after missing the entirety of the last campaign, while Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf and Jonny Evans have all been off match fitness.

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