Shock to Manchester United

The Old Trafford team could have a special Christmas without two important attacking stars.

MU lost Mbeumo and Diallo at a crucial stage of the season.

According to the recently announced schedule, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will have to leave Old Trafford to return to serve the national team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a tournament that starts earlier than usual, right on Christmas.

AFCON 2025 is scheduled to kick off on December 22 in Morocco, with the opening match between the hosts and Comoros. The two MU players will start on December 24, Christmas Eve. Mbeumo's Cameroon will face Gabon, while Diallo's Ivory Coast will face Mozambique.

There are no matches on December 25, but AFCON returns on Boxing Day (December 26). Two days later, the two Manchester United teammates will be on opposite sides of the pitch when Cameroon take on Ivory Coast in the second round of Group F.

This is the first time in many years that AFCON has been held so early, instead of at the beginning of the year as usual. This means coach Ruben Amorim will lose two key players at the same time when the team is on a strong recovery.

In MU's recent 3 consecutive victories, Diallo and Mbeumo were the pair that created new attacking inspiration. With their excellent form, their absence during the fierce period at the end of the year certainly left a big gap in the attack.

Mbeumo is the team's top scorer (4 goals), while Diallo has made seven starts in the Premier League this season. At the national team level, Cameroon and Ivory Coast are both among the title contenders.

The question is whether coach Amorim has enough squad depth to help MU play stably when the duo Mbeumo and Diallo are both absent at Christmas?

Source: https://znews.vn/cu-soc-voi-manchester-united-post1597661.html