3 Manchester United players who can benefit from the AFCON players' absence

One day of a normal Manchester United is all the fans ask. But it looks like it’s never going to happen.

The topsy-turvy 4–4 draw against Bournemouth on Monday night was just a small drop in the ocean of news that has been coming from the red half of Manchester. From the head coach name-dropping youth players, those youth players posting Instagram stories as retorts, a leak about the head coach looking to tweak his formation, a player’s family member wearing some rather fire-stoking merch, to the captain going on the charm offensive by claiming that the higher-ups at the club wanted him gone in the summer, a lot has happened this week.

However, all the drama aside, Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils now brace themselves for the upcoming flurry of games in the festive season with arguably their biggest challenge of the season so far: missing key players due to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

In a flash, major right-side operators Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui have departed to represent their respective countries, and United have lost key contributors.

Mbeumo has scored six times and assisted once thus far. Amad has two goals and two assists while being a problem for defenders with his dribbling and direct style of play. And Mazraoui has been a reliable option from the bench with his press-resistant style and calm reading of the game.

With a rapidly ascendant Aston Villa kick-starting what will prove to be a season-defining run for his side, Amorim will have to turn to his bench for options to bolster the starting XI and fill the creative and stylistic gaps left by his three now-at-AFCON starters.

Here are three United players who we believe will benefit the most from this period and make a huge impression in the upcoming games and weeks.

Joshua Zirkzee

The Dutchman is a very intriguing player in a pretty frustrating situation at the moment. Undoubtedly talented, at his best Zirkzee combines grace, skill, and flamboyance to beautiful effect, which also showcases his innate intelligence of the game. However, playing time has been hard to come by for him.

The 24-year-old’s recent return to the starting line-up has resulted in a mixed bag of performances. He was pretty ordinary against Everton, though in all fairness so was most of the team. Then came a much-improved display against Crystal Palace, which saw him score a league goal for the first time in a year, followed by a solid but not spectacular outing against West Ham.

Given that his positional versatility allows him to play anywhere across the front line, Zirkzee could easily slot in as one of the wide forwards in a back-three setup, or on either flank or as a No. 9 if Amorim does switch to a back four. There are a lot of interesting possibilities for a very interesting footballer who can thrive if the conditions are in his favour.

Patrick Dorgu

The young Danish defender has had a rather stop-start campaign thus far. He began the season with five straight starts, after which followed a spell on the bench. In his last four appearances, however, he has got to play roughly 30 minutes in total.

With Diogo Dalot showing consistency on the left flank, which is Dorgu’s natural position, the Denmark international has found opportunities hard to come by. However, that may be about to change.

With Amad now off to AFCON along with Mazraoui, Dalot is bound to be deployed on the right, giving Dorgu an opportunity to make the left flank his own.

The 21-year-old is athletic and robust in his style of defending but has more often than not failed to find the requisite end product as a wingback that is so crucial to Amorim’s system. This run of games is a golden opportunity for him to showcase that he can improve and consistently deliver what Amorim wants from his wingbacks.

Kobbie Mainoo

Arguably the most high-profile player listed here, and for good reason. Kobbie Mainoo’s playing time under Amorim has not increased, nor has the noise regarding him getting more minutes reduced. With every passing game, the furore continues growing, and now it has reached stratospheric levels.

Mainoo had a rather impressive 37-minute stint in that chaotic game against Bournemouth, where he showcased his innate ball-carrying ability and exceptional awareness to glide out of tight spaces before releasing the ball in dangerous areas. However, that impressive performance was overshadowed by his half-brother Jordan, who rocked up to Old Trafford wearing a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt, which understandably did not go down well among the Man United higher-ups.

At his best, Mainoo is a player who can rival some of the best midfielders in the country. While Amorim has time and again made his admiration of the young Englishman clear, that admiration has not translated into playing time for the 20-year-old, which has left him itching for a move away in January, especially with the World Cup on the horizon.

The AFCON absentees present a golden opportunity for Mainoo. With Mbeumo and Amad gone, Bruno Fernandes can be expected to play further up the pitch, which opens up the possibility of Mainoo getting more minutes at the base of midfield.

One thing is certain, however: Mainoo will definitely be starting the game against Aston Villa. With Casemiro picking up his fifth caution of the season against Bournemouth, he is set to miss the trip to Villa Park. Even Amorim recently said that Mainoo could play in Casemiro’s position.

The Mainoo situation is tense, with both the player and the manager having genuine reasons for their actions. But AFCON has probably arrived at the perfect time for all parties involved, and maybe Old Trafford will finally get to see Kobbie Mainoo not only start games, but also hopefully grab this phase by the scruff of its neck to help deliver results and make himself undroppable