Manchester United are still to confirm whether Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui will be available for Monday's Premier League game against Bournemouth. After that it is back to one game a week, the FA Cup third round tie with Brighton and the Manchester derby, which is the day before the final on 18 January. The same is also true of Joshua Zirkzee.
Manchester United are still to confirm whether Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui will be available for Monday's Premier League game against Bournemouth.
Yet, if they are or not, the time is soon coming when all three will be missing – and, in reality, will not play their last matches until into the first week of January and probably after that.
Even if Cameroon, Ivory Coast and hosts Morocco were knocked out in the last-16 and the trio did play against Bournemouth, they would miss five Premier League games. After that it is back to one game a week, the FA Cup third round tie with Brighton and the Manchester derby, which is the day before the final on 18 January.
It is during that period we will find out whether Kobbie Mainoo is going to play any meaningful amount of time. The same is also true of Joshua Zirkzee.
Those two are the most obvious players who will leave the club – either on loan or permanently – before the transfer deadline on 2 February. If either did, the chances are replacements would be needed.
The futures of a number of young players – including full-back Harry Amass – will also be determined, with wide man James Scanlon among Travis Binnion's Under-21 squad hoping to secure a switch before the window closes.
Club sources are predicting a quiet window, which may be the case. But it will be shaped by what happens at Afcon. The last two weeks before the deadline shuts could turn out to be quite busy.
Category: General Sports
