Manchester United are set to have Bryan Mbeumo available again for next Sunday’s derby clash with Manchester City.
The former Brentford star has missed his side’s last five games after leaving Manchester to join up with the Cameroon squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Indomitable Lions progressed to the quarter-final stage of the competition but suffered a 2-0 defeat to Morocco in Rabat on Friday.
Cameroon fell to a 2-0 defeat but with the score at 1-0, Mbuemo felt his side should have been given a penalty for what he felt was an ‘obvious’ foul on him.
‘I felt he touched me. And they showed me the footage after the match: it’s very, very obvious,’ Mbeumo said.
‘I don’t know what else to say, I don’t know if this match was decided solely on that. Unfortunately, we were a bit reluctant to play in the first half, that’s one of the only regrets we can have. We controlled the second half, except for their goal. It’s part of the game, we also knew what to expect.
‘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 heartbreak for Cameroon, it means United will have their top scorer this season back next week.
Darren Fletcher was quizzed on the possibility of Mbeumo making it back in time for Sunday’s FA Cup third round clash against Brighton on Sunday.
But the turnaround required to get him back in time was deemed to much by interim boss Darren Fletcher.
‘I don’t think so, too close a turnaround from the tournament,’ Fletcher said of Mbuemo and Noussair Mazraoui, who was part of the Morrocco side that eliminated Cameroon.
‘We will have the same players available for the game against Burnley so no new additions. Bryan and Nous will not be available.’
United’s third player at AFCON in Amad Diallo has been one of the player’s of the tournament, scoring three times to help Ivory Coast reach the last eight. They are in quarter-final action against Egypt tonight.
Mazraoui’s Morocco will be in semi-final action on Wednesday with the final of the tournament on Sunday, the day after the Manchester derby.
United were hit hard by AFCON absences, also losing Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to injury during the same period.
Fernandes made his return on Wednesday night against Burnley with Mainoo also coming off the bench that night.
Harry Maguire is also fit again with Matthijs de Ligt now United’s only remaining absentee.
It remains to be seen who will be in charge for that derby showdown. Fletcher will oversee the first-team again against Brighton with Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer holding face-to-face talks with the club today as they seek to appoint a caretaker boss until the end of the season.
Michael Carrick has also held talks over that role.
