Which Manchester United players will miss which Premier League games because of AFCON 2023?
As happens every couple of years, clubs in most European countries will soon be lamenting the timing of the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which will confusingly be played in 2024. The tournament will take place in the Ivory Coast between 13 January and 11 February, right in the middle domestic seasons across the continent. Some, including Premier League and Champions League holders Manchester City, will not be affected, while others, including neighbours Manchester United, will have their rosters weakened for at least a few weeks.
Red Devils’ poor start in the Premier League and Champions League
The Red Devils have hardly had their problems to seek in the first few months of the season. On the field, they have lost eight of their first 18 league games, leaving them in eighth place in the table, while they are already out of Europe after finishing bottom of their Champions League group.
Off the field, manager Erik Ten Hag has had a number of disciplinary issues to contend with, while the ownership of the club has been a constant talking point. That may change now Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acquired a minority stake from the Glazer family.
How many United players will play in AFCON 2023? Which ones?
United’s recent form has been woeful, with no goals scored in their last four matches, three of which they have lost. And things could get more complicated soon with four players heading off to AFCON 2023.
Admittedly, Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who plays for Morocco, haven’t had the best of times since moving to Old Trafford, while young Tunisian midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has only been a bit-part player this term. Amad Diallo of the Ivory Coast, meanwhile, hasn’t featured at all. But the 13-time Premier League winners need all the help they can get as they look to turn things around.
Onana was recalled to the Cameroon roster in August having previously retired from international soccer after a falling out with manager Rigobert Song during the 2022 World Cup.
How many matches they miss will, of course, depend on how far their respective countries go in the tournament. The majority of bookmakers have Senegal down as favourites to win, although Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia and the Ivory Coast aren’t too far behind them on most lists.
How many United games will African quarter sit out?
The AFCON 2023 group stage runs from 13 to 24 January, during which time United only have one match scheduled due to the Premier League having a “winter break” of sorts, with matchday 21 split across two weekends (13-15 January and 20-22 January).
The African quartet will therefore be unavailable for the home league game against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 January, although there is also a chance they will link up with their national teams before the FA Cup third-round tie away to Wigan Athletic on 8 January.
The fourth round of the cup is scheduled for the weekend of 27 January, which may or may not come too soon for any players eliminated at the end of the group stage.
The AFCON 2023 knockout rounds start on 27 January and end with the final on 11 February. In that period, United are scheduled to play three Premier League Games: away to Wolves on 1 February, at home to West Ham United on 4 February and away to Aston Villa on 11 February. Onana, Amrabat, Mejbri and Diallo could miss any number of these matches depending on how well their national teams do.
Which United games could Onana, Amrabat, Mejbri and Diallo miss?
They will definitely miss:
- 14 January: Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
They could miss:
- 8 January: Wigan - Manchester United (FA Cup third round)
- 27 January: FA Cup fourth round
- 1 February: Wolves - Manchester United (Premier League)
- 4 February: Manchester United - West Ham (Premier League)
- 11 February: Aston Villa - Manchester United (Premier League)
2023 Africa Cup of Nations schedule
Group stage
- Matchday 1: 13-17 January
- Matchday 2: 18-21 January
- Matchday 3: 22-24 January
Knockout stage
- Round of 16: 27-30 January
- Quarter-finals: 2-3 February
- Semi-finals: 7 February
- Final: 11 February
Ten Hag’s first Game after the Africa Cup of Nations comes on 18 February, when they Travel to Luton Town.
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