Manchester United, like many other Premier League sides, will lose some key players to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) this winter, causing some stars to miss a crucial period of the season.

The event begins on Saturday, January 13th, and if any of United’s players reach the final, they will be unavailable for the Red Devils until Sunday, February 11th.

Because the group stage concludes on January 24th, all called-up players will miss United’s critical game against Tottenham on January 14th. Man United, on the other hand, will have players from two of the most successful nations, Cameroon and Morocco, thus fans should expect their players to miss a lot more domestic activity.

The competition’s final is slated for February 11th. This means that players will most likely be unavailable for an away day at Wolves on February 1st, as well as the home game against West Ham on February 4th. If one of United’s players makes the final, they will almost certainly miss a huge match against Aston Villa on the day of the showpiece event.

It’s bad for the Red Devils since Tottenham, West Ham, and Villa are all formidable rivals for a top-four berth in Manchester. The outcomes of these games will most likely define the season.

Furthermore, if the team defeats Wigan in the FA Cup, the African contingent will be unable to compete in the fourth round, which is planned for the end of next month.

Hannibal Mejbri has already turned down the opportunity to represent Tunisia in order to get a loan away from the club over the winter months.

Furthermore, The Daily Star stated that Aaron Wan-Bissaka has turned down the opportunity to represent Congo in the competition. This is good news for Red Devils fans, since losing the Englishman would significantly limit the Red Devils’ right back depth. Two United players, however, will be affected, with a third likely to join them.

Andre Onana

The Cameroonian goalkeeper is undoubtedly the most well-known and talked-about United player who will take the field. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the keeper’s debut in England, and it was uncertain for a long time whether he would serve his country, having previously withdrawn due to tactical disagreements at the World Cup in 2022.

Erik ten Hag, United’s manager, stated, “When he (Onana) goes there [AFCON], I think we have a strong couple of keepers with Bayindir and Tom Heaton, so we are comfortable.” Of course, we hope Onana will be available as much as feasible. But if not, we have two good keepers who can take his place.”

However, The Peoples Person reported yesterday that the former Inter Milan goalkeeper wants to postpone his debut as long as possible and skip a friendly for his country in order to play in the FA Cup game against Wigan on January 8th. Many questioned whether he would jeopardize his United place by going for the competition, but supporters now have an answer. It will be interesting to observe how Turk Altay Bayindir performs without him.

Sofyan Amrabat

Despite the excitement surrounding the Moroccan’s arrival on the deadline day, the move has been a bit of a letdown so far. Amrabat’s team begins the competition in Group F with games against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania.

Moroccans will hope they can win the World Cup, which is being held in the Ivory Coast, after reaching the semi-finals in the previous event. With a shaky start and the anticipated return of Casemiro and Mason Mount on the horizon, Amrabat is yet another player who risks losing his spot long term after a month away from the club.

Amad Diallo

Since suffering a major injury in pre-season, the young Ivorian has not kicked a ball in anger this season. The Ivory Coast have not yet chosen their final squad, but with the 21-year-old having just returned to training, it will be intriguing to see if he is called up and, if so, if he goes or not.

The midfielder was projected to break into the first team after a fantastic loan spell with Sunderland last year, and with Antony and Facundo Pellistri’s inability to secure a regular spot, he may just fancy his chances.

Alternatively, like Hannibal, he may move out on loan again to ensure he gets regular game experience, with Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich mentioned as a likely destination yesterday.