Manchester United missed Harry Maguire's presence at the back on Monday evening as they lost 2-1 to Leeds at Old Trafford.
It was a disappointing evening for Manchester United on Monday as they dropped three points against rivals Leeds and the performance was far from inspiring.
Michael Carrick's side looked sluggish and suspect defensively at the beginning of the game and that led to them falling 2-0 behind in the first-half.
Improvements only came after Lisandro Martínez's red card early in the second period. Casemiro managed to get a goal back but United could not find an equaliser before the full-time whistle.
Harry Maguire was unavailable for the game due to suspension and it seemed clear that United missed the experienced defender at the back, especially in the air against Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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Maguire recently signed a new contract at Old Trafford which keeps him at the club for at least one more season.
While the England international is not the perfect defender, he has important qualities that are clearly valued by his teammates.
Earlier in the season, reports from The Sun claimed that the United squad thought that it would be 'madness' if Maguire was not offered a new deal, and the performance against Leeds might have proven them correct.
The Premier League has entered a period where physicality is key and Leny Yoro has been learning that the hard way. Calvert-Lewin swung his elbow into the Frenchman's head to put him off before the opener on Monday.
Maguire would have been able to deal with that situation, and he is also a leader in the defence which is valuable for this United squad.
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It has still not been confirmed whether or not Maguire's ban will be extended beyond the initial one-match but United will be hoping to have him back in the side to face Chelsea this weekend.
Lisandro Martínez looks set to miss the game after his sending off unless United successfully appeal the decision before the Saturday evening kick-off.
Yoro has started regularly under Carrick but many would argue that Ayden Heaven deserves a chance in the side. Heaven is more comfortable on the ball than his French counter-part, who has struggled when trying to progress the ball from the right.
It would be interesting to see Heaven and Maguire starting together, although it does still feel more likely that Yoro partners the veteran defender. Yet, if Maguire's suspension is extended, we could see the two youngsters starting together for the first time in the Premier League.