The Africa Cup of Nations will soon be here, as it commences a week from Sunday. It runs until Sunday, Jan 18, and over this period, Manchester United will be without the services of a trio of key players: Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).
Will these guys be leaving for AFCON before or after the Monday night league fixture against Bournemouth?
Manchester United vs AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kick: Mon. Dec. 16, 8pm, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
Man United Team News: Part 1 Part 2
Google Result Probability: AFC Bournemouth win 23% Draw 24% Man United 53%
PL Standing, Form Guide: AFC Bournemouth 13th, 20 pts, LDLLD Man United 6th, 25 pts, DLWDW
Man United Team News
United manager Ruben Amorim met the media earlier today, and he said the following on the situation: “I expect today to have a decision (on the AFCON exits), or maybe tomorrow, but we are waiting until the last moment to have all the players available.”
Elsewhere Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt is ruled out of this one, after picking up a lower back injury in the win over Crystal Palace.
“I think he has something in his back,” Amorim said.
“I don’t know for sure… sometimes you see it’s not a big injury – he finished the game quite well against Palace – but sometimes he feels a little pain, and we have to be careful.”
So while De Ligt will miss out here, he is not expected to be missing for too long.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.