Overrated? Manchester United's highly-touted "new Essien" faces consecutive humiliations after loan move, even snubbed by Ratcliffe's own team

Upon Manchester United's £1 million acquisition of young defensive midfielder Sékou Koné from Mali, he was lavished with acclaim, earning sensational monikers from the British press such as "the new Essien" and "a young Yaya Touré." Yet, after entering the academy, Koné has been plagued by persistent injuries, and his subsequent loan spell has seen him face disgrace, even being rejected by the very club under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's influence.

In Sunday's Swiss Super League match, the 20-year-old Koné was handed his first start for Lausanne-Sport, but the team lost 2-1 to Basel, with the United youngster substituted at halftime due to poor performance.

Match data shows that Koné, wearing the number 8 shirt, had 33 touches with only 18 passes at a 78% success rate. He lost possession on all 3 dribble attempts, won just 2 out of 9 duels, and managed only 2 successful defensive actions. He ultimately received a match rating of 5.9, the second-lowest in his team.

This marks Koné's second instance of being sidelined by his loan club, having previously been excluded from Lausanne-Sport's UEFA Europa Conference League squad. According to UEFA regulations, Lausanne could register three new players after the January transfer window; they opted not to include Koné, completely ruling the United prospect out of European competition. Ironically, United's loan announcement had specifically highlighted his eligibility for European fixtures.

Koné trained with Lausanne-Sport throughout the winter before completing a loan move in the January window until season's end. However, he has struggled to make an impact at the Swiss top-flight club, only making his starting debut this Sunday. Unfortunately, this first start turned into a nightmare. Deployed as a left midfielder against fourth-placed Basel, Koné failed to contribute in 45 minutes, prompting the manager to replace him at halftime.

United's aim was for Koné to gain more first-team experience in Switzerland, but current developments fall short of expectations. Reports suggest Lausanne-Sport's coaching staff are unconvinced by his abilities, only accepting him due to pressure from owner Ratcliffe.

Koné's luck at United has also been poor, often beset by bizarre injuries. For instance, last August he suffered an orbital fracture playing for United's U21s against Tamworth, sidelining him until November. This prevented an earlier loan move, costing him crucial integration time.

In contrast to Koné, another United loanee, Enzo Kana-Biyik, was included in Lausanne-Sport's European squad. The 19-year-old French forward, who joined United from Le Havre this summer before immediately moving to Switzerland on loan, wears the number 22 shirt. He has made 21 appearances, scoring once with one assist, delivering a steady, if unspectacular, performance.

Another United academy prospect, Chidozie Obi, faced setback on Monday when he was injured and substituted just minutes into United U21s' match against Chelsea. The 18-year-old Danish striker collided with Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick while pressing, struck in the head by the clearance.

Obi received lengthy on-pitch treatment, standing up only after five minutes before walking off directly to the dressing room. Fans applauded him, and United U21s manager Adam Lawrence checked on his condition. It remains unclear if this head injury will rule Obi out of the U18s' FA Youth Cup quarter-final against Sunderland at Old Trafford on March 18.

Both the Premier League and the FA have established protocols for head injuries, including clear "return-to-play" guidelines for suspected concussions. These rules mandate a minimum six-day period without any training or match activity. Subsequently, players can progress through rehabilitation stages every 24 hours.

The process involves: no physical activity, light aerobic exercise, sport-specific training, non-contact training, full-contact training, and finally return to play after clearance by the club's medical officer. Completing these steps could sideline Obi for nearly two weeks.

This season, Obi has been playing with United's youth sides, primarily for the U21s but also featuring in key U18 matches like the FA Youth Cup, where he scored in both the fourth and fifth rounds. Recently, he even scored four goals in a U21 match. This head injury therefore represents a significant setback.

First-team coach Michael Carrick, assistant Steve Holland, U18s manager Darren Fletcher, and football director Jason Wilcox were all in attendance. Unfortunately, not only did Obi fail to impress the senior staff, but captain Sonny Aljofree also suffered a head injury just before halftime. United U21s struggled throughout, losing 2-0 at home and falling from top spot to third. However, they trail leaders Chelsea by just one point with a game in hand.