£52m signing has given Manchester United something they were not expecting

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