Why Manchester United did not name Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo in reduced Premier League squad

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Evening Standard

·12 settembre 2025

Why Manchester United did not name Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo in reduced Premier League squad

Man United have named a reduced Premier League squad for the 2025-26 season

Leny Yoro, Kobbie Mainoo and Patrick Dorgu are among the Manchester United first-team regulars not named in the 25-man Premier League squad.

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Man Utd, who have begun the new season with a loss to Arsenal, a draw with Fulham and a win over Burnley, were required to submit their list before Friday's deadline.

Under the Premier League's guidelines, the squad could not contain more than 17 players who do not fulfil the ‘Home Grown Player’ (HGP) criteria. The rest of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be ‘Home Grown’.

For a player to be considered ‘Home Grown’ they “irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).”

The reason Yoro, Mainoo, Dorgu as well as summer signings Diego Leon and Enzo Kana-Biyik - currently out on loan at Lausanne-Sport - have not been named in the main Premier League squad is because they are eligible for the Under-21 section.

As per the Premier League: “For the 2025-26 season, Under-21 players will have been born on or after 1 January 2004.”

Therefore, the aforementioned trio and Leon do not have to be included in the 25-man squad list but will be able to feature for Man Utd in the Premier League throughout the season, starting with this weekend's derby against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo are regulars for Manchester United

Manchester United via Getty Imag

However, from next season Dorgu must be registered in the main Premier League squad as he will no longer be eligible for the U21's list.

Elsewhere, Benjamin Sesko has been named in Man United's 21-man squad for the Premier League, along with three of the club’s other summer signings, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens.

Lisandro Martinez's inclusion despite being a long-term absentee suggests Ruben Amorim expects to have the central defender available for selection before the January transfer window opens.