Man Utd left ‘involved’ as midfielder suffers main blow after switch U-turn
A Manchester United youth star was left out of his club’s UEFA Conference League squad despite joining on loan in January with the decision sparking concern at Old Trafford
Sekou Kone will spend the second half of the season on loan with Lausanne (Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United reportedly harbour ‘concerns’ regarding Sekou Kone’s situation following his exclusion from Lausanne-Sport’s Conference League squad.
The United prospect has been denied the chance to participate in the European tournament after being snubbed for the UEFA squad by the Swiss outfit. Lausanne were permitted to register a maximum of three fresh players following the January transfer window, but chose not to feature Kone.
The 20-year-old spent the winter period training with the club, who are also owned by Ineos, before finalising a move in January, penning a loan deal until the campaign’s conclusion. When confirming the switch, United declared in their announcement that: “Kone will also benefit from potential involvement in the UEFA Conference League.”
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The Daily Mail reports that the club harbour ‘concerns’ regarding his exclusion from the squad. It’s also noted that the loan arrangement had initially been scheduled for the summer, before a ‘late U-turn’.
In Lausanne’s three matches since his arrival, Kone’s sole outing came as a late replacement in the team’s 5-1 defeat to FC Thun. That was positioned between two Swiss Super League fixtures where he remained an unused substitute.
The midfielder sustained a fractured eye socket back in August whilst representing United’s Under-21s against Tamworth. The injury sidelined him until November, before returning to action for the youth side.
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That injury blow also stopped Kone from featuring in any of United’s first team squads during the opening half of the season. He featured in the squad under Ruben Amorim on occasion last season.
In contrast to Kone, fellow United loanee Enzo Kana-Biyik has been named in the club’s Conference League squad. The striker immediately moved to Lausanne on loan from United during the summer following his transfer from Le Harve.
The 19-year-old notched an assist in the team’s most recent outing in the tournament as they secured a 1–0 victory against Fiorentina. He may feature in the opening leg of the play-off against Sigma on Thursday evening.
