Ruben Amorim is preparing Manchester United for their biggest headache this season as Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, and Noussair Mazraoui leave for AFCON, but he could get one back earlier than expected.
Noussair Mazraoui will begin his campaign first, playing for Morocco against Comoros on December 21, which is why he was unavailable for Man Utd vs Bournemouth.
Amad and Bryan Mbeumo will begin their tournament for the Ivory Coast and Cameroon, respectively, on December 24.
Who will be Manchester United’s most important attacking player when Mbeumo and Amad depart for the AFCON?
Who do YOU think is going to STEP UP?
Bryan Mbeumo celebrates scoring for Manchester United vs Liverpool.
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By going the distance in this tournament, United could feasibly lose the player until January 18, which is when the final takes place. However, Ruben Amorim is likely to get one of Mbeumo or Amad much earlier than expected.
Amad Diallo celebrates scoring during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
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Amad and Bryan Mbeumo’s fates are tied together
With all due respect to Mazraoui, who has been a crucial part of the defence with his versatility, Amad and Mbeumo are bigger misses for this current United side.
It is a boost, therefore, for Ruben Amorim, that the fates of those two players are tied together. And for better or worse, it benefits Man Utd.
That is because the luck of the draw at AFCON is such that both Mbeumo and Amad find themselves in the same group.
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IF Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui aren’t available… who replaces them in each position?🤔
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Ivory Coast and Cameroon are in Group F with Gabon and Mozambique, which can be best described as the “Group of Death”.
Amad’s Ivory Coast are one of the favourites for the tournament, while Cameroon’s talent on the pitch isn’t translating to results because of upheaval at the board level.
Cameroon also missed out on World Cup qualification as their national team continues to stumble, and with Ivory Coast pretty much nailed on for first place in the group, Cameroon’s campaign might end much earlier than expected.
The third and final matchday of AFCON’s group stage takes place on December 31, so if Cameroon get eliminated at that stage, Amorim will see Mbeumo miss only three games.
Ruben Amorim can use AFCON as a blessing in disguise
It goes without saying that a boost for United in AFCON terms directly translates to a blow for the players who love to play for their country.
Therefore, Man Utd fans will be feeling bittersweet if Mbeumo or Amad are eliminated early, and that kind of experience can hurt their club form as well.
What Amorim needs to do is use this time to make United a more efficient attacking outfit collectively, so that when Amad and Mbeumo return, they do so as quality additions instead of firefighters.
The Man Utd manager has already hinted that he’s trialling new ways to set his team up and attack, so it’s encouraging that he’s looking at it in the same way.
If he gets the team firing in the absence of the duo, then AFCON will be a blessing in disguise that makes the team more functional as a collective.
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