Manchester United’s problems at left-back have given Diego Leon a chance to put himself in front of Michael Carrick, even if only for one night.
With a large number of first-team players away on international duty, Michael Carrick had limited options for Friday’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport. The absences also created an opening for Diego Leon, who finally got his first minutes under the United head coach.
The 19-year-old replaced the unavailable options at left-back and featured in the makeshift side that won 2-1.
Diego Leon gets rare chance to impress Carrick
Diego Leon arrived at Manchester United in 2025 with plenty of attention around him. The club had agreed his move six months before he officially joined, paying an initial £3.3 million to Cerro Porteno, with the fee potentially rising to £7m, as claimed by Manchester Evening News.
The Paraguayan had already played 33 first-team matches for Cerro Porteno before turning 18, but his progress at United has been slower.
He made 17 starts for the Under-21s last season and also featured twice in the EFL Trophy. This season, though, he had not played a minute in United’s opening three Premier League 2 matches.
Harry Amass has been ahead of him in the Under-21 pecking order, while Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have also affected his opportunities.
Amass was away with England when Leon got his opening, giving the youngster a chance he badly needed.
Luke Shaw has fitness concerns of his own, while Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui were also injured in the recent international break. This gives Diego Leon an outside chance to have a go at some minutes at left-back against Tottenham.
Whether the appearance changes Carrick’s thinking remains to be seen. Leon is still raw, and regular football with the Under-21s is the immediate priority. Still, impressing the first-team boss certainly can put him in contention to feature against Tottenham.
