The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Sunday, December 21 - just six days after Manchester United's Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Monday evening.
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has vented his frustration over the uncertainty surrounding the availability of some of his players due to AFCON
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Everything you need to know about the Manchester United players heading to the Africa Cup of Nations...
Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon): The forward has been called up to represent Cameroon at the tournament and is one of the players the club will miss most due to his recent strong form. United are currently in talks to delay his departure past the Bournemouth match on December 15, which is the official FIFA release date.
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast): The winger has been selected for the Ivory Coast squad, who are set to be strong contenders in the competition. Manager Ruben Amorim is waiting for clarity from the national team on whether Amad will be available for the Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.
Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco): The versatile defender has been called up by host nation Morocco, who kick off the tournament on December 21. His departure date is still being negotiated, as the club aims to keep him for the match against Bournemouth if possible.
Andre Onana (Cameroon): The United loanee has been included in the Cameroon squad list submitted by former head coach Marc Brys, despite being excluded by the new interim coach, David Pagou. This situation highlights a power struggle within the Cameroonian football federation (Fecafoot), leaving Onana's true availability for the tournament uncertain as the squad submission deadline approaches.
Other players' availability: With the exception of Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui, all other United first-team players are not representing a nation in the AFCON tournament. The vast majority of the United players represent European or South American nations, such as Portugal, England, Brazil, Argentina, and the Netherlands. Key players like Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Casemiro (Brazil), Diogo Dalot (Portugal) and Lisandro Martinez (Argentina) will remain fully available throughout the tournament period.
Ruben Amorim 'frustration': While he admitted the situation is 'frustrating,' Amorim pointed out a positive side, noting that the uncertainty means their opponents also do not know which players will feature. He maintained confidence in the rest of his squad, saying 'we have players to cope with everything' during this period.
National team discussions: Amorim confirmed that the club is still engaged in conversations with the various national teams regarding the release of their players for AFCON. Despite the confusion, the players are currently present and training, and the club is preparing for all possible selection scenarios for the upcoming Monday game.
Preparation strategy: The manager highlighted that having a longer training week allows them to work on various formations and plans. This extra time is being used to prepare for any situation, regardless of which players depart for the tournament.
AFCON details: The tournament is officially scheduled to kick off on Sunday, December 21, 2025, which will see the start of the group stage matches in Morocco. This marks the first time AFCON will be played over the Christmas period, due to scheduling conflicts with the expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
End Date: The final match will be played approximately four weeks later on Sunday, January 18, 2026. This means that Premier League clubs could be without their participating African players for up to a month.
Tournament duration: The full competition, officially known as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, will run for almost a full month, spanning across the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. The group stages are set to run until December 31, with the knockout rounds starting in early January.