Manchester United Seeks to Delay Player Departures for Africa Cup of Nations
Manchester United is making efforts to postpone the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui for the Africa Cup of Nations.
According to tournament regulations, the club is required to release the players two weeks prior to the first matches for Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco. This timeline would necessitate their departure around the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on December 8.
Full-back Mazraoui, representing Morocco, will host the tournament and is set to play in the opening match against Comoros on December 21. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast's Amad and Cameroon’s Mbeumo will kick off their campaigns on December 24. The final match is scheduled for January 18, raising the potential for the players to miss up to eight Premier League games and an FA Cup third-round match.
Given that Mbeumo and Amad have both been consistent starters, and with Mazraoui now fit and capable of providing defensive cover, United is aiming to delay their release until after the game against Bournemouth on December 15. The team is also scheduled to face Aston Villa on December 21.
In a similar situation two years ago, United successfully retained goalkeeper Andre Onana until the day before Cameroon’s first match in the tournament, resulting in him missing only one game—the FA Cup tie against Newport.
Manager Ruben Amorim has stated that the club will engage in discussions with the players' national federations regarding their release. “We have the rules for when we have to release the players, but we are trying to keep them a bit longer,” the Portuguese manager explained. “It is not solely in our hands. We will see and try to arrange something with the federations.”
Even an additional match could prove vital, as Amorim anticipates that Benjamin Sesko will recover from the knee injury he sustained against Tottenham on November 8 around the same timeframe. If United were to be without Sesko, Mbeumo, and Amad, it would necessitate a significant reshuffle in the attacking lineup, potentially calling on Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo, who have had limited playing time this season.
“He’s going to be out for a few weeks,” Amorim remarked when asked about Sesko's condition. “It’s not that serious, but we need to be cautious with him. I don’t want to make any guarantees, but when they leave, I expect to have Ben back.”