Manchester United will face their most challenging month of the season severely depleted on the right side of the pitch, as star winger Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and talented forward Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) depart for AFCON 2025.
The immediate relief for United is that the final mandatory release date for players to join their national teams was set for Monday, December 15th, meaning Mbeumo and Diallo were available for the December 15th Premier League match against Bournemouth.
The Games Definitely Missed (Group Stage Minimum)
Both Cameroon and Ivory Coast are expected to make it out of Group F, meaning Mbeumo and Diallo will miss the following three Premier League matches regardless of their nation's performance:
The Games Potentially Missed (Knockout Stages)
The full extent of their absence depends on how far Cameroon and Ivory Coast advance. Cameroon and Ivory Coast are in the same Group F alongside Gabon and Mozambique, meaning at least one of them will face a massive test to progress deep into the competition.
Scenario 1: Early Elimination (Return by Jan 7)
If both Cameroon and Ivory Coast are eliminated at the Group Stage or Round of 16 (which concludes on January 6th), Mbeumo and Diallo would likely miss the following matches but return in time for the derby:
Scenario 2: Making the Final (Maximum Absence)
If either Cameroon or Ivory Coast makes it to the final on Sunday, January 18th, the players would miss up to seven games across all competitions, including the massive clash against their neighbours:
Date,Competition,Opponent,Status
"Sun, Dec 21",Premier League,Aston Villa (A),Missed
"Fri, Dec 26",Premier League,Newcastle United (H),Missed
"Tue, Dec 30",Premier League,Wolves (H),Missed
"Sun, Jan 4",Premier League,Leeds United (A),Missed
"Wed, Jan 7",Premier League,Burnley (A),Missed
"Sun, Jan 11",FA Cup R3,Brighton & Hove Albion (H),Missed
"Sat, Jan 17",Premier League,Manchester City (H),MISS THE MANCHESTER DERBY
The Impact on Manchester United
The loss of Mbeumo is particularly acute. He has been one of United's standout attacking players this season, providing much-needed goals and assists from the right side.
Manager Amorim will be forced to rely heavily on players like Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha,
and potentially shift formation entirely to cope with the absence of his established right-sided forwards during a period where points are traditionally fought tooth and nail.
Who do you think Manchester United's biggest tactical loss will be: Mbeumo, Diallo, or Mazraoui?