Manchester United are now accelerating talks with the football federations of Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco as they try to keep Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui available for a little longer before the Africa Cup of Nations begins, according to the Daily Mail.
The urgency comes after a disappointing 1–0 defeat to ten-man Everton—a result that highlighted how thin United’s squad becomes when key players are unavailable. Mbeumo, Diallo, and Mazraoui were among the few who performed well, prompting the club to push harder to retain them for crucial December fixtures.
If their nations reach the AFCON final on January 18, the trio could miss up to eight Premier League matches, along with the FA Cup third round—an absence that may significantly impact United’s season. Under tournament regulations, players must be released two weeks before their opening matches, meaning they could be required to leave after the Wolves clash on December 8.
United hope negotiations will allow the players to feature in the Bournemouth match on December 15, buying the club valuable time. However, no agreement has been reached, and AFCON rules remain firm. Internally, the club acknowledges the growing pressure to find solutions as injuries, form, and squad depth continue to raise concerns.
For now, Manchester United must balance respect for international duty with the reality of their domestic struggles—knowing every game matters.
