For the first time in his Manchester United career, Leny Yoro has made back-to-back Premier League starts that have each amounted to more than 85 minutes.
After storing 88 minutes under his belt in United's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last Tuesday night, the talented Frenchman completed the full 90 minutes as United drew 0-0 with Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Yoro's maiden season at Old Trafford, impacted by a pre-season injury that saw him suffer a fractured metatarsal in the club's first game of their pre-season tour of the United States, has had a stop-start theme to it, with United having to manage his load and account for other little injury setbacks.
But having made back-to-back starts and so nearly completing both games since the March international break, Yoro is now tracking in the right direction.
United swooped for the former Lille man, who was 18 at the time, last summer, signing him for a fee that could eventually be worth £58.9million. Real Madrid were also firmly interested in the youngster but were beaten to the punch by the Reds, whose ambition was attractive to the centre-back.
"Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour," Yoro said. "Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project, and showed a lot of care for me and my family."
Although this season has had a stop-start theme to it, his recent performances have shown why United were convinced they were signing one of Europe's most exciting centre-backs. He has been very assured defensively of late, but it is his ball-playing credentials that have come to the fore.
Against Forest last week, Yoro completed 75 of his 81 attempted passes, giving him a 93 per cent passing accuracy, before boasting an 89 per cent passing accuracy against City by completing 40 of his 45 attempted passes.
What is all the more impressive about Yoro's metrics is that he delivered such polished figures from two different positions. He started on the right of the defence against Forest, supported by Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, before lining up on the left against City, joining forces with Harry Maguire, who replaced the injured De Ligt, and Mazraoui.
Being right-footed, Yoro, following Ruben Amorim's appointment in November, was instantly expected to become United's long-term right-sided centre-back. That does remain the case given his age and profile, but his performance against Pep Guardiola's side highlighted that he is also an option to be considered for the left of the back-three, and that prospect never crossed anybody's mind a few months ago.
Of course, Yoro being right footed does slightly restrict United in terms of balance, but you would have been forgiven for not noticing against City. He was very assured with the ball at his feet, playing the ball into midfield, and that is what Amorim is demanding of him.
Yoro told MUTV: "The three defenders need to control the game. "If I can bring the ball forward for the strikers, for the midfielders, it is good for us, so I try to do it.
"He [Amorim] asked me to do it. I am ready to do it and I can do it."
Yoro's ball-playing ability is key to the first phase of United's build-up play, with the wide centre-backs expected to supply the midfielders and help with the first phase of progressing the ball through the thirds. Yoro is quickly demonstrating he can do it from either side.
Of course, Yoro's deployment at left-sided centre-back against City was inspired by the absences of Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven, who are both left-footers and both currently injured. It is unlikely Yoro will be a regular on the left once Martinez and Heaven are back up and running.
Nevertheless, his performance against City, likewise against Ipswich Town in February when he completed 95 per cent of the 58 passes he attempted, has highlighted playing on the left is not a problem for the 19-year-old, who attracted plenty of praise following Sunday's stalemate.
It is little wonder he told Rio Ferdinand earlier this year he "really likes" playing on the left.
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