Amad and Bryan Mbeumo will be at Michael Carrick’s disposal for his first game in charge, but he could be in line for an even bigger squad boost late on if things fall into place.
The Manchester United tenure of Michael Carrick will start with a baptism by fire, as he takes on Pep Guardiola’s Man City side at Old Trafford.
Arsenal follow immediately after, so if the worst-case scenario comes true, the mood around the place can sour quickly.
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Carrick can use all the help he can get, and while it’s coming in the form of Amad and Mbeumo’s return, there’s a sneaky chance that he could get a late squad boost who will be just as monumental, if not more.
Man Utd will watch Noussair Mazraoui closely
Mbeumo’s elimination from AFCON came at the hands of Noussair Mazraoui’s Morocco, with the full-back putting in a lockdown performance against his United teammate.
Mazraoui’s Morocco now face Nigeria in the semi-finals, who are among the tournament favourites.
The game takes place at 8 PM, January 14, and United will keep a close eye on what happens in that game.
With the Manchester Derby taking place on January 17, at 12.30 PM, there is a genuine chance that Mazraoui could be involved if Morocco are knocked out by Nigeria.
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Mbeumo couldn’t play a part against Brighton because it was just the day after Cameroon were knocked out by Morocco.
There is a third and fourth place playoff, but with Mazraoui being a regular starter for Morocco, he could be excused to leave the squad early if they decide to rest their starters. Perhaps it’s a long shot – but United will be paying attention.
Mazraoui will be a monumental boost vs City, if available
Generally, it’s accepted that Mbeumo and Amad were much bigger misses than Mazraoui for United, but things have changed in the last week or so.
The team has looked more threatening in attack after Ruben Amorim’s sacking, while Diogo Dalot has emerged as a weak spot after the formation switch to a back four.
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Dalot struggled immensely against Brighton and wasn’t much better against Burnley either, so the prospect of him lining up against City’s Jeremy Doku is the stuff of nightmares.
Suddenly, Mazraoui becomes equally as important as Amad and Mbeumo, if not more, because of the unique dynamic of this game.
Even if he’s available for just a 20-25-minute cameo, it will make Carrick rest easy knowing he has a reliable player on the bench if Dalot is being given a runaround by Doku.
It has to come at the cost of Morocco being eliminated from a tournament they’re hosting, but that’s just the bittersweet reality facing Man Utd.
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