Manchester United could not have lost Lisandro Martinez at a worse time.

After creating Bruno Fernandes' winner against Rangers and firing in a deflected winner against Fulham, it felt as though United were recapturing the Martinez of old. He was experiencing his best run of form since his first season at Old Trafford and was beginning to adjust to Ruben Amorim's three at the back formation.

However, the Argentine was forced off with a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the latter stages of United's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and is set to be sidelined for several months.

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As a left-footer, Martinez is one of the very first names on the teamsheet when he is fit. He possesses the credentials to advance the ball and get United on the front foot from a deep-lying position.

United's only other naturally left-footed centre-back is January recruit Ayden Heaven. Luke Shaw, who is also left-footed, is also capable of playing there but is rarely fit.

Heaven has just 10 minutes worth of competitive football at senior level under his belt, meaning Amorim is unlikely to throw him straight into the starting XI as a direct replacement for Martinez. The 18-year-old needs time to develop.

Friday night's FA Cup win over Leicester City saw Noussair Mazraoui show off his versatility and start as the left-sided centre-back and he could be an option moving forward.

Matthijs de Ligt has also played on the left of the three since United's mid-season formation switch and offers Amorim another alternative in Martinez's absence. If De Ligt is elected to become the left-sided centre-back on a more regular basis, it could open the door for Yoro to get more opportunities.

The 19-year-old arrived from French club Lille last July after United beat Real Madrid to his signature. He was one of the most coveted centre-backs in Europe at the time and his switch to Old Trafford, worth an initial £52.2million, was considered a coup for United.

However, Yoro suffered a fractured metatarsal in United's first game of their pre-season tour of the United States last July and was sidelined for four months. It immediately derailed his chances of forcing his way into the team for the start of the season, though his injury allowed him the opportunity to settle in and adjust to life in Manchester.

He made his United bow as a second half substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on December 4 and has made a total of 16 appearances for the club thus far, including eight starts.

Yoro's longest run of consecutive starts stands at three, meaning he is yet to be afforded the opportunity to get into any sort of rhythm. Nevertheless, he has shown flashes of his capabilities, despite being somewhat raw.

Fellow defender Maguire said of him recently: "Obviously, Leny's a young boy with all the attributes to go on to be an elite centre-back. He has everything that you want in a modern-day centre-back at the moment.

"He needs guiding through. Obviously, this is a tough, tough period for the club. But it would be a great learning curve for him and he'll learn a lot from it. And I have no doubts he's going to go on and have a great career for this club."

Not turning 20 until November, Yoro is still in the initial stages of his development at Old Trafford. He is playing catch-up after his pre-season injury United are unlikely to see the very best of him until further down the line.

But with United now a centre-back down, more frequent chances could soon come Yoro's way. He is widely considered as a shoo-in to become the club's long-term right-sided centre-back and that position could become his own in the coming weeks if De Ligt is redeployed on the left.

Rotation remains a key fixture of Amorim's thinking, meaning Yoro is unlikely to start every game between now and the end of the season, but there is now an opportunity for him to try and chain a more starts together.

He was United's statement signing last summer and everyone is itching to see what he can offer on a regular basis.