While things are looking much rosier for United after picking up 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four outings, both Mbeumo and Amad will leave Amorim's squad next month for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament is scheduled to take place between December 21 to January 18, 2026, with Mbeumo set to play for Cameroon and Amad representing the Ivory Coast. That means the Red Devils will have the pair for a maximum of six games before heading off to represent their countries. Those fixtures include trips to Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Wolves, and home encounters with Everton, West Ham, and Bournemouth. They could miss a good half a dozen games in December and January, which includes crunch ties with Newcastle United, Leeds United, Man City, and Arsenal.
On the duo leaving for AFCON, Amorim joked, "We will have time to suffer," before adding, "We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing. But it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are also doing well during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us. They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general."