Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is expecting a serious test when he takes his team to Manchester United on Monday night, picking out two Red Devils stars for praise.
The Cherries started the season impressively but have fallen off badly, slipping down to 14th in the Premier League table.
Their last victory came against Nottingham Forest on October 26, going six games without a win since then.
Manchester United have been quite unpredictable themselves, but have won two of their last three outings and Iraola likes what he sees from some of their players.
The Spaniard sees Ruben Amorim’s new-look attack as an improvement, but thinks Amad Diallo might bring more to the table than any of them.
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‘The signings they have made up front – [Bryan] Mbeumo, [Matheus] Cunha, [Benjamin] Sesko – but especially players like Amad, who is now even more important
‘He is an even bigger threat, and we have to be ready to defend difficult duels for the full-backs and for the centre-backs because you have to defend some very good players in open spaces.’
The 23-year-old has been a regular in the team since Amorim took over last year, making 14 Premier League appearances so far this season.
Previously a winger, the Ivorian has moved to wing-back under the Portuguese coach, linking up well with Mbeumo on the right flank.
Iraola has also been impressed by the versatility and intelligence of Mason Mount, who is playing regularly again after an injury-hit time at Old Trafford before this season.
‘Mason Mount is a very smart player,’ said the Cherries boss. ‘He always takes up good positions. I think he understands and analyses the game really well, to take up spaces on the pitch that he can exploit better.
‘Sometimes he plays higher, sometimes lower, sometimes wider, sometimes inside, and obviously, there is a reason he does that. Then he is also a lovely player on the ball if we allow him a lot of time.’
Amorim had a similar assessment of Mount, saying ahead of the Bournemouth clash: ‘He’s a very, very smart player, he’s really technical.
Mason Mount 2025/26 Premier League stats
Apps: 12
Goals: 3
Assists: 0
‘Because sometimes to be a technical player is not just having fun with the ball. It’s the quality of the pass, the reception, how to receive the ball, and with these things he’s really smart. He can balance our team quite well, so he’s a very good player.’
Whether Amad, Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui will be available on Monday is still to be confirmed, as they will be playing for Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Morocco respectively at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations this month.
Discussions have been ongoing between Manchester United and the international federations but the Red Devils have not yet announced when the players will depart.
