Former France defender Mikaël Silvestre has identified Manchester United’s Leny Yoro as a candidate for a breakthrough campaign, suggesting the teenager must “impose himself” as William Saliba’s injury leaves a vacancy in the national team.
Yoro’s opportunity at Old Trafford
Yoro featured in 32 Premier League matches last season, though almost half of those appearances came from the substitute bench. The 18-year-old has struggled with injury niggles since arriving at Old Trafford, limiting his ability to establish himself as a first-choice centre-back.
However, Silvestre believes the upcoming season offers a crucial window for the former Lille defender to cement his status. “Whether it will be his breakthrough season I don’t know, but what is very good is that he is having a proper pre-season with no interruptions,” Silvestre told Get French Football News. “It’s up to the coach and there is a lot of competition, but he needs to impose himself at some point, so why not this season?”
France’s defensive puzzle
Yoro’s potential rise comes as France manager Didier Deschamps faces a selection headache following Saliba’s injury, which is expected to sideline the Arsenal defender for several months during the qualification period.
Silvestre identified three primary candidates to fill the void alongside Dayot Upamecano: Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix, Real Madrid newcomer Ibrahima Konaté, and Yoro himself. “They have the ability to match their opponents and to give William the time to get back to full strength and fitness,” Silvestre explained.
Konaté’s redemption path
While Lacroix appeared to leapfrog Konaté in the hierarchy during recent international fixtures, Silvestre maintains that the former Liverpool defender possesses the “physical, technical and mental resources” to reclaim his place.
Konaté endured a difficult campaign at Anfield as Liverpool struggled collectively, compounded by personal tragedy. Silvestre noted that the defender lost a parent during the season and was affected by the tragic death of a teammate, factors which may have influenced his performances. “It wasn’t his best season personally, and that was the case too with les Bleus where he has played better games,” Silvestre acknowledged.
The move to Real Madrid offers Konaté a fresh start. Silvestre suggested the change of environment could help the 26-year-old “start afresh” and mount a serious challenge to Upamecano and Saliba for a starting berth once the Arsenal man returns.
With qualification matches approaching, Deschamps must decide whether to trust experience or gamble on emerging talent such as Yoro, who continues his pre-season preparations under new Manchester United management.