Sekou Kone excluded from Lausanne-Sport squad

Manchester United’s loan strategy has been placed under the spotlight once again as one of their young midfield prospects faces an unexpected setback away from Old Trafford.

The club have increasingly leaned on Ineos-linked pathways to give academy talents exposure to senior football, particularly in leagues where minutes are easier to come by than in England’s top flight.

That approach was clear during the winter window when Sekou Kone trained extensively with FC Lausanne-Sport before completing a loan move designed to accelerate his development.

However, despite early indications that European football could form part of that journey, Sekou Kone has not been included in Lausanne’s squad for the UEFA Conference League, as revealed on the UEFA website.

The Swiss side were permitted to register a maximum of three new players following the winter window, but Kone was not among those selected, meaning he will miss the upcoming play-off tie against Sigma Olomouc.

That decision comes as a disappointment, particularly after Manchester United stated at the time of the move that the 20-year-old “will also benefit from potential involvement in the UEFA Conference League”.

Kone’s loan spell has been slow to gather momentum so far, with the midfielder still finding his feet following a disrupted first half of the season.

After leaving United, he was an unused substitute against St. Gallen before making his Lausanne debut with a brief 10-minute cameo against Thun.

Last weekend brought another frustrating moment, as Kone again watched on from the bench during a 3-3 draw with Servette.

The situation is further complicated by the injury setback he suffered earlier in the campaign, having fractured his eye socket while playing for United’s Under-21s against Tamworth in August, ruling him out for several months.

Now back fit and available, the focus for both United and Lausanne will be ensuring the loan still delivers meaningful league minutes, even if European exposure has been taken off the table for now.