Manchester United seek delay to AFCON departures amid selection concerns | OneFootball

Manchester United are attempting to postpone the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui ahead of this winter’s Africa Cup of Nations, as manager Ruben Amorim faces the prospect of losing three key players during a congested period of the season, according to reports from BBC Sport.

Under tournament regulations, clubs must release players 14 days before their nation’s opening fixture. For United, that deadline falls around their Premier League match at Wolves on 8 December. Morocco open the competition on 21 December, while Cameroon and Ivory Coast begin on Christmas Eve, meaning the trio could miss up to eight league matches and an FA Cup third-round tie.

With Mbeumo and Amad established as regular starters and Mazraoui newly fit and offering valuable defensive versatility, United are negotiating with the relevant national federations to ensure the players remain available at least until after their match against Bournemouth on 15 December. A trip to Aston Villa on 21 December follows immediately after.

United have precedent on their side. Two years ago, they successfully held on to goalkeeper André Onana until the eve of Cameroon’s first match, limiting his absence to a single FA Cup tie.

Amorim confirmed talks are ongoing. “We have the rules for when we must release the players, but we are trying to have them a bit longer,” he said. “It is not just in our hands.”

The situation is complicated further by Benjamin Šeško’s knee injury, sustained earlier this month. The forward is expected to return around the time AFCON begins, but any setback would leave United dangerously light in attack, forcing greater reliance on Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo.

GFN | Finn Entwistle