Next Saturday, United will be hosting City at Old Trafford, and fans are excited to see Bryan Mbeumo back on the field for the derby clash on Sunday. The former Brentford star had been away for the past five games, representing Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations. Although the Indomitable Lions made it to the quarter-finals, they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Morocco in Rabat on Friday.
During the match, Mbeumo believed he should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on him, which he thought was obvious. "I felt he touched me. And they showed me the footage after the match: it’s very, very obvious," Mbeumo expressed his disappointment. However, he acknowledged that the team had other regrets, such as being reluctant to play in the first half. Despite that, he still had faith in his team, saying, "We have a very good team, with a lot of quality. We are very disappointed, and I hate losing, but we have a very good group, which is young. This experience will enrich us."
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While it was a heartbreak for Cameroon, United fans are thrilled to have their top scorer back for the upcoming games. There were speculations about Mbeumo's availability for the FA Cup third round clash against Brighton, but interim boss Darren Fletcher confirmed he will not be playing due to the tight turnaround from the tournament. "I don't think so, too close a turnaround from the tournament," Fletcher stated when asked about Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui's availability. Mazraoui was also part of the Morrocco side that eliminated Cameroon.
Meanwhile, United's third player at AFCON, Amad Diallo, has been having an outstanding tournament, scoring three goals to help Ivory Coast reach the quarter-finals. They will be facing Egypt in the quarter-final match tonight. Mazraoui's Morocco, on the other hand, will be playing in the semi-finals on Wednesday, with the final scheduled for Sunday, the day after the Manchester derby.
United had a tough time during the AFCON period, losing not only Mbeumo but also Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to injuries. However, Fernandes made his return on Wednesday's game against Burnley, and Mainoo also came off the bench that night. With Harry Maguire also back from injury, the only remaining absentee for United is Matthijs de Ligt.
It is still uncertain who will be in charge for the much-anticipated derby showdown. Fletcher will continue to oversee the first-team against Brighton, while Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer will hold face-to-face talks with the club today as they search for a caretaker boss until the end of the season. Michael Carrick has also been considered for the role. We would love to hear your thoughts on this, so don't forget to leave a comment below.
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