When Leny Yoro joined Manchester United instead of Real Madrid this summer, he probably expected his development would be fast-tracked at Old Trafford. The then 18-year-old was considered a generational talent but was likely to be eased into life at the Bernabeu. At United, there was an expectation that he would be ready for the here and now, as evidenced by the £52m United offered Lille to blow Real out of the water in what many had considered a one-horse race for his signature. "Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour," said Yoro. "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." In hindsight, he might well have got more action in Madrid this season. For a variety of issues, not least the struggles United have endured and a few injury problems, Yoro has completed 90 minutes just four times this season, playing 21 times in total, of which 12 have been starts. A centre-back injury crisis for Real has forced midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni into a role in defence alongside 22-year-old academy graduate Raul Asencio, who has enjoyed a rapid rise that saw him win a first Spain call-up this month. Yoro, on the other hand, has seen his development stall so far. That shouldn't be too concerning for anyone at United, however, or for the player himself. When he signed, the key word in his own comments was "develop," and this is a season he will learn plenty from. There have been flashes of the quality that led Dan Ashworth to label him "one of the most exciting young defenders in world football" with "every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back." There is plenty of time for that description to come true. At Yoro's age, not many teenagers are playing regularly for a club the size of United or in a major European league, and the 700 minutes he has played in the Premier League so far will help his development. An injury picked up against Arsenal has kept him out recently but there is a hope he will return after the international break, when he could face competition for another teenage defender in Ayden Heaven. There is reason to hope they will combine to be a key part of Ruben Amorim's defence for years to come. Both will certainly benefit from a full pre-season under the Portuguese head coach, having played their development football as part of a back four. There are subtle changes as part of a back three in terms of distance and defending closer to the touchline. Both have the quality to adapt and the range of passing required to make it work. In Yoro's case, this season is one he can put down as a learning curve. Moving to a new league is always difficult, even before you consider the circumstances he has been thrust into this year. He has gone into a team that has underperformed and been through a mid-season manager shift that resulted in a major change of style. Amorim certainly has options in his back three when everyone is fit. Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt all look like good options, with Yoro, Heaven, Noussair Mazraoui, and Luke Shaw as likely backups. That means there is no pressure to keep playing the two teenagers when they need a rest. But we will surely see the best of Yoro next season, once he can put his debut campaign behind him and get a firmer grasp on the demands of this system. There is no doubt he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world, and if he can show that on a more consistent basis next season, then he could feel like a new signing for Amorim.