Manchester United are preparing for the temporary loss of three crucial players, Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui, as they depart to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament, hosted by Morocco, kicks off on Sunday with the home team taking on Comoros.
The final is set to be held in Rabat on Sunday, January 18, leaving United fans eager to know when their trio might return. A new AFCON Supercomputer prediction suggests that Morocco, the host nation, are tipped to clinch their first AFCON title since 1976. This forecast, made by experts at BookmakersCameroun.com, indicates that Morocco will narrowly defeat Senegal with a 1-0 victory in the final.
If this scenario unfolds, United's full-back Mazraoui won't be available for Ruben Amorim until the away match against Arsenal on January 25.
On the other hand, Mbeumo's Cameroon are predicted to bow out early in the group stages, potentially allowing him to return for United's away game at Leeds on January 4. While such an outcome would be disappointing for Cameroon and Mbeumo, it would certainly be a boost for United, who could have one of their key players back sooner rather than later.
The supercomputer also projects that Senegal will knock out Amad's Ivory Coast in the semi-finals with a 3-0 win. However, he would still miss the Manchester derby on January 17 as it clashes with the third-place playoff, a match the Ivory Coast are predicted to lose to Uganda on penalties.
The forecast suggests that Amad could rejoin the team around the same time as Mazraoui, possibly in time for the match against Arsenal in late January. In what might be the tournament's most surprising outcome, Egypt and their star player, Mohamed Salah, are predicted to suffer a 1-0 loss to Comoros in the round of 16.
South Africa and Algeria, both of whom have secured their places at next year's World Cup, are expected to advance to the quarter-finals, while Tunisia, another World Cup qualifier, is projected to exit before the knockout stages.
With Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui out for the foreseeable future, Amorim faces the daunting task of finding solutions, and ex-United defender Paul Parker believes it will be an incredibly difficult challenge.
He said: "It is impossible for Man United to cope with the loss of Mbeumo when he leaves for the AFCON. They simply can't. They have no one close to his level, so they will struggle without him.
"He is going to be a massive miss, and I can't see how they can do anything without him. We have to remember that he is one of the best players in the league, and he is definitely the best player from Manchester United.
"He is seriously scary on that right hand side, but who should replace him? Amad Diallo is gone as well. Will they play Mason Mount or Zirkzee there? Gosh, I can't imagine how that is going to look.
"Of course, Amad will be a massive miss as well," Parker added. "Man United might have to change their whole approach, because nothing will come from that right hand side without them. Amad is a big threat and we can see that in every game. No one is able to take on their opponent like him, so no one can replace him.
"Combined with both of them being out, that is going to be a nightmare. It will be a true nightmare, and I don't really have faith that other players can step up to their level, which is normally expected at a big club like Manchester United."