Leny Yoro made his debut for France on Monday night and a classy and commanding performance has put the Man Utd centre-back in the frame for his country.
Leny Yoro
Leny Yoro had an excellent debut for France on Monday night
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Leny Yoro has managed just 22 minutes of Premier League football with Manchester United this season but that lack of exposure proved no impediment to making an assured debut for France on Monday night.
Yoro went into the international break on the back of a very shaky outing against Brighton in the Carabao Cup, and he looked set for more appearances for France Under-21s before Ibrahima Konate's withdrawal led to a late call-up to Zinedine Zidane's first Les Blues squad.
It was the first time Yoro had been included in the senior squad, but he had to bide his time before making his debut. The 20-year-old was an unused substitute against Turkey, Belgium and Italy, but Jeremy Jacquet's withdrawal meant a start for Yoro in the return against Belgium in Paris.
While he was impressive in a 4-1 win that leaves France handily placed in their Nations League group, Yoro will know his opportunity arose because of injuries to Konate and Jacquet and then a suspension for Dayot Upamecano. If they are all fit next month, he could be back on Under-21 duty.
But he certainly took his chance to impress. Zidane said Yoro had a "great game" on his debut, and the centre-back said the experience was "amazing".
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The challenge now is to become a regular part of Zidane's 26-man squad for a national team with arguably the greatest depth in world football. To do that, he needs to be playing more regularly for United.
Yoro should look to Jacquet as both an example and a target. The centre-back shone during this international break and maintained his impressive form since a £60million summer move to Liverpool.
Jacquet is only four months older than Yoro, but he is already a first-choice at Anfield and is Virgil van Dijk's regular centre-back partner in Andoni Iraola's side. For as long as that continues and while Yoro is battling for scraps at Old Trafford, the pecking order for the national team is unlikely to change.
But Yoro and Jacquet have always been rated at a similar level in France's youth circles, with Yoro arguably a step ahead as teenagers. He has lost momentum due to his injuries at United and his struggles to force his way into the side since a £52million move from Lille in 2024.
This should be the year he breaks that barrier. Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez are Michael Carrick's first-choice pairing and Matthijs de Ligt offers more competition for that right-sided centre-back slot, but Yoro has the ceiling to surpass them all.
On Monday, he completed 72 of his 78 passes, won all four ground duels and all five aerial duels, and a combination of seven interceptions and clearances was unsurpassed on either side. If he can bring that level of performance to United on a regular basis, he could soon find himself in the team.
Carrick was pleading patience with Yoro when asked about the young defender before the international break, but he will be even more reassured now that the talent is there.
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"He's 20, Leny, you know? And again, in context, he's got a fantastic future ahead of him and a lot of potential, and he's learning, he's developing," said Carrick.
"To be at this club in place as a centre-back at such a young age, it's a challenging position. It's one that he can do for sure, it's one that Ayden can do for sure, but there's no cut-off point.
"Some players progress and find when they're 18, they're at that level where they can really perform. Some players, like Leny, showed he can perform. I've got no worries for Leny. I think he does a lot of really good things and it’s part of learning.
"Sometimes it might be 20, sometimes you see players 22, 23, 24, where they start developing. So there's definitely no cut-off point. He's just got to keep progressing and moving in the right direction, wanting to learn, keep improving, getting more opportunities.
"He's doing a lot of good things, and I think we've got to be careful again, and I certainly won't [be] making knee-jerk decisions on certain players just because of one game or one half or one moment in a game, and we've got a lot of belief in Leny for sure."
Yoro should return to Carrington this week with a spring in his step, but he will know if he wants to become a regular for France, then playing more often for United is vital.
Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, dejected after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, dejected after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Everton and Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium