‘Unplayable’ Man Utd star dealt major blow after surprising exclusion

Sekou Kone’s hopes of accelerating his development in European competition have been stalled after Lausanne-Sport left the Manchester United loanee out of their UEFA Conference League knockout-stage squad. The 20-year-old Malian, described by observers as “unplayable” during his early months at Carrington, arrived in Switzerland during the January window hoping for the consistent senior minutes that eluded him at United.

Kone’s season began ominously when he fractured an eye socket in a U21 fixture against Tramworth in mid-August, an injury severe enough to force the referee to abandon the match. After months of rehabilitation he re-joined the United youth set-up, but INEOS—majority owner of Lausanne-Sport and minority stakeholder in United—engineered a loan to the Swiss club to aid his progression.

Training-ground reports in Lausanne claimed staff were “blown away” by the battling midfielder’s intensity and technique, yet head coach Peter Zeidler has chosen not to register him among the three winter signings permitted for the club’s Conference League push. Fellow United loanee Enzo Kana-Biyik, a 19-year-old striker who joined last summer, retained his place, highlighting the selective nature of Zeidler’s decision.

Kone remains eligible for domestic duty and has already made his Swiss top-flight bow, entering the 1-5 defeat to league leaders FC Thun for the final ten minutes. He has occupied a place on the Lausanne bench in three league matches since signing, but Sunday’s heavy loss represents his only competitive appearance so far.

The omission leaves the 20-year-old focusing solely on league and cup fixtures in Switzerland as he attempts to force his way into Zeidler’s rotation and, ultimately, return to Manchester United ready to challenge for Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad next season. For a player once tipped to break through at Old Trafford this year, the European snub marks another frustrating chapter in a campaign already disrupted by serious injury.

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