MANCHESTER, England — Ruben Amorim has stated that he is still uncertain about the availability of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui for the upcoming match against Bournemouth on Monday.
The three players are expected to travel for the Africa Cup of Nations later this month.
Amorim mentioned that discussions are ongoing with the football associations of Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco regarding the players’ release dates.
He hopes to receive a definitive answer by Saturday at the latest.
FIFA has mandated that players must be released at least a week prior to their respective nations’ first tournament match, which begins with Morocco facing Comoros on December 21.
Mbeumo’s team, Cameroon, and Amad’s Ivory Coast start their campaigns on December 24.
“We’re still in talks with the national teams,” Amorim said at a press conference on Friday.
“The match is on Monday. They are present, training, and we’re exploring all possible scenarios to prepare for the game.”
“It can be frustrating, but at the same time, no one knows who will play. That’s a positive aspect because we have the depth to handle various situations, and the extended week gives us the opportunity to refine our preparations.”
Additionally, United will be without defenders Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt for the match against Bournemouth.
Benjamin Sesko, who has missed the last four games due to a knee injury, may make a return, but Amorim noted that the striker is currently battling a minor illness affecting his recovery.
“Maguire is out, De Ligt is out, and we’ll have to see about Ben,” Amorim said. “He has some food poisoning, so we’ll wait to see. We still have two training sessions before the game.”