Manchester United are enjoying the crest of a wave but Ruben Amorim will be forced to overcome a December headache
Jadon Sancho signed for Aston Villa on loan from Man United.
Jadon Sancho signed for Aston Villa on loan from Man United.
View Image
Manchester United will reportedly not sanction exits for Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee due to the threat of losing their players to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho is set to see out his loan agreement with Aston Villa following reports that there is no break clause as part of the move from Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is on his best run since taking over at the helm after three successive league wins. Triumphs over Sunderland, rivals Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion mean that United are now sitting one point outside of the Champions League places going into November, with the chance to further assert themselves as European contenders against strugglers Nottingham Forest, this weekend.
The summer arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo have helped the club move past their attacking problems last season. The Cameroon international has three in two games, Sesko netted two in as many games before the international break and Cunha got off the mark during the 4-2 win over Brighton.
But United have faced increasing speculation in recent months surrounding out-of-favour players, Zirkzee and Mainoo. Both have been the topic of links with a move away from Old Trafford as the likes of West Ham United, Sevilla and Napoli have been mooted.
However, as a result of their players' involvement in the forthcoming AFCON, key decisions await United chiefs. One of which, according to the Mail, is that Sancho will not be returning to the club due to a lack of break clause in their agreement with Villa.
Such a clause would have allowed United to recall him when the time had become available, similarly with Sergio Reguillon when he left the club in the middle of the season-long loan. But reports elsewhere suggest that United will block exits for Zirkzee and Mainoo due to the squad involvement in the competition, which runs from late-December to early Janaury, in Morocco.
Mbeumo is set to unite with his Cameroon teammates, while Amad could be in line for an Ivory Coast call-up. As a result, it has been claimed that the January exodus has been blocked to avoid finding themselves short during a hectic period.
Amorim faces a selection headache in that period with both players certain to miss back-to-back home matches against Newcastle and Wolves on December 27 and 30, respectively.
Also in their cluster of fixtures is clashes against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Burnley and Manchester City, with the FA Cup third round to come at the turn of the year.
Sancho, meanwhile, has endured a tough start to his loan spell at Villa Park. This weekend, he was introduced as a substitute in the first-half before he was withdrawn in the dying embers of their 1-0 win over Manchester City.
The 25-year-old has been plagued during his time in Unai Emery's side as he has mustered just five appearances in all competitions, two of which in the Premier League.
Now, it has been claimed that he will remain in the Midlands after no break clause was included in their loan agreement.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the bestManchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clickinghere to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Clickhere to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, includingSpotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.