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

One day of a normal Manchester United is all we ask. But 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 manager name-dropping youth players, the same youth players posting Instagram stories in what is obviously a retort from their end, a leak about the manager making a tweak in his formation, a player’s family member (more on that later) wearing some rather fire-stoking merch, and the captain going on the charm offensive by saying the higher-ups in the club wanted him gone in the summer. 

And it’s only 4 days into the week. 

However, drama aside, manager Ruben Amorim and the side will brace themselves for the upcoming flurry of games in the festive season with arguably the biggest problem they will encounter: absence of key players due to the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

In a flash, the entire right-sided trio of Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui have departed to represent their respective countries, and the Red Devils have lost key contributors in their side. Bryan Mbeumo has scored 6 times and assisted once so far, Amad has 2 goals and 2 assists while being a problem for defenders with his dribbling and direct style of play, while Mazraoui has been a reliable option from the bench with his press-resistant style and his calm reading of the game.

With a rapidly ascendant Aston Villa kickstarting things in what will prove to be a season-defining run for Ruben Amorim’s side, the Portuguese will have to look into his bench for options to bolster not only the side, but also the creative and the stylistic output the departed 3 players provide.

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

1. Joshua Zirkzee

The Dutchman is a very intriguing player in a pretty frustrating situation at the moment. Zirkzee is an undoubtedly talented player who at his best 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.

His recent return to the starting line-up threw a mixed bag of performances from the 24-year-old. He was pretty ordinary against Everton (in fairness to him, almost the entire team was). He followed that up with a much-improved display against Crystal Palace that saw him score a Premier League goal for the first time in a year, with a solid, but not spectacular performance against West Ham United.

With Zirkzee’s positional versatility that allows him to play anywhere across the forward line, he could easily slot in as one of the 10’s if it’s a back 3, or on any flank or as a number 9 if the manager decides to switch to a back 4. There are a lot of interesting possibilities for a very interesting footballer who can thrive if the conditions are in his favour.

2. Patrick Dorgu

The young Danish defender has had a rather stop-start campaign this season for the Red Devils. He began the season with 5 straight starts, which was then followed by a spell on the bench where he got a regular amount of 30+ minutes to play. It was followed by 2 more starts following which he has now played just 32 minutes in his last 4 appearances. With Dalot showing consistency on the left flank, a role that is natural for Dorgu, he has found opportunities hard to come by. However, that is now set to change.

With Amad now off for AFCON duty along with Mazraoui, that will automatically bring Dalot back to his natural and preferred right side, giving an opportunity for Dorgu to play on his preferred side. The Dane has had a mixed bag of a season. He is athletic and robust in his style of defending but has more often than not failed to find the requisite end product as a wing-back that is so crucial to Amorim’s system being a success. This run of games is a golden opportunity for Dorgu to showcase his improvement and make that left-back/ Left wing-back slot his own.

3. Kobbie Mainoo

Arguably the most high-profile player in this list, and for good reason. Kobbie Mainoo’s lock of playing time has been no secret, and neither the noise around him getting more playing time and opportunities reduced. With every passing game, the furore around Mainoo needing to play has only grown to stratospheric levels. 

He had a rather impressive 37-minute stint in that chaotic game against Bournemouth where he showcased his innate ball-carrying ability and his 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, and that has clearly not gone down well among the Old Trafford higher-ups.

Mainoo at his best is a player that 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 transferred into playing time for Mainoo, which has led him to request for a loan move away from the club in January given that it is a World Cup year and he obviously fancies his chances of getting into that England side.

The AFCON absentees present a golden opportunity for Mainoo. With Mbeumo and Amad gone, Bruno Fernandes will definitely be playing much higher and in a position that can further unlock his creative prowess much more than his current deep-lying role does. That move means that Mainoo will slot into midfield along with either Mount or Casemiro. But one thing is certain, and that is the fact that Mainoo will be definitely starting the game against Aston Villa. With Casemiro picking his 5th caution of the season against Bournemouth, he will miss the game at Villa Park due to suspension. That opens the door for Mainoo to play given that Amorim recently said that he can also play in Casemiro’s position.

The Mainoo situation is tense, with both sides (player and manager ) having genuine reasons to supplement their cases. But the AFCON has probably come at the perfect time for all parties involved, and maybe Old Trafford and the Premier League will finally get to see Kobbie Mainoo not only start a game, but also hopefully take it on by the scruff of its neck.