Manchester United boost as AFCON player release deadline pushed back to December 15 | OneFootball

Manchester United are among the clubs most affected by the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. 

The Red Devils will lose Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the tournament later this month. 

However, the deadline for clubs to release players has been pushed back to December 15, per The Athletic. 

Teams were previously required to release players weeks before the first game, but this has now been reduced to just seven days. 

The relaxation of the rules means Mbeumo and Diallo can play against Bournemouth, as Cameroon and the Ivory Coast don’t play until December 24. 

However, Morocco begin their campaign on December 21, which will rule Mazraoui out of the game. 

AFCON runs from December 21 to January 18, meaning the United trio will miss fixtures against Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

Depending on how far they progress in the tournament, they could also miss games against Leeds United, Burnley and Manchester City. 

Mbeumo came to the club in the summer and has hit the ground running, scoring six goals in 14 senior appearances. 

Diallo has also been a key member of Ruben Amorim’s team this season, weighing in with four direct goal contributions in 12 Premier League games. 

Mazraoui has played a bit-part role at Old Trafford this term, but he started 34 top-flight matches last season. 

Stats from Transfermarkt.