Bryan Mbeumo to hand new Man United boss immediate gift ahead of Man City
Manchester United have been handed a boost with Bryan Mbeumo's time at the Africa Cup of Nations coming to an end after Cameroon's quarter-final loss against Morocco, meaning he will return to Old Trafford. The United man started the game for his nation and came up against United teammate Noussair Mazraoui. Morocco's progression in the competition means that the full-back will likely remain unavailable for United for next weekend's Premier League clash against Man City, but that is now not expected to be the case for Mbeumo, who could be available. The news will come as a welcome gift to whoever is in charge for the game. The match against City could be the first under a new interim manager, with Darren Fletcher taking charge of the team for the FA Cup clash against Brighton. It was Morocco who took the lead in the game, with Brahim Diaz continuing his record of scoring in every round of the competition. His goal gave his side a lead in the 26th minute, with the score remaining that way until halftime.
Bryan Mbeumo will return to Manchester United after Cameroon fell at the quarter-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.
(Image: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
There was a worry for United in the second half when Mbeumo looked to be hurt following a challenge. The United man hobbled away from the incident, but to the relief of United was able to carry on as normal and showed no ill effects. Morocco sealed their win in the second half when Ismael Saibari scored to make it 2-0 in the 74th minute. Despite pushing to get back in the game, Cameroon couldn't find a way past the tournament hosts. Mbeumo played the full 90 minutes of the game. The win sees Morocco and Mazraoui take on either Nigeria or Algeria in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other quarter-final takes place at 4pm on Saturday. United have been without both players, as well as Amad, who is representing the Ivory Coast, for the last five Premier League games, due to their involvement in the competition. Amad is in quarter-final action on Saturday when the Ivory Coast take on Egypt. Their participation in the quarter-final stage means they will be unavailable for United's FA Cup third-round clash against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon (4:30 pm kick-off). After that game, United are next back in action against City (H) on Saturday 17 January (12.30pm) and against Arsenal (A) on Sunday 25 January (4.30pm). Mbeumo and Cameroon's exit from the tournament means that he should now be available for those games. Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
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