Manchester United will call upon Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo once again for their derby showdown with Manchester City on Saturday.
The two were almost ever-present in Ruben Amorim’s starting XI leading up to Christmas, forging an impressive partnership down the right with Amad operating from wing-back with Mbeumo ahead of him.
The pair left Manchester following the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth on 15 December as the Africa Cup of Nations took centre stage. The journey for Cameroon and Ivory Coast came to an end last weekend however, crashing out after defeats to Morocco and Egypt respectively at the quarter-final stage.
While devastating for the players, the timing suits United. The two returned to training on Wednesday and are expected to be involved when City come to Old Trafford on Saturday for Michael Carrick’s first game in charge as interim boss.
But how much will a major international competition, coupled with the heartbreak of a relatively early exit, have taken out of them?
Mbeumo racked up 405 minutes of playing time across five matches for his country. Amad, who scored three goals during an excellent campaign, hit 353.
While the pair have spent the last month thousands of miles away from Carrington and the United coaches who regularly monitor them at every turn, United will have done their due diligence to ensure they return able to slot straight back into the side.
Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!
As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.
Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, explains steps to ensure Amad and Mbeumo are fit enough to make an immediate impact will have been taken long before their return to training this week.
‘The process starts before they head off for the tournament,’ Smith told Metro. ‘The best clubs are the ones interacting with the national sides beforehand, giving them a picture of how they are normally training and playing, what a normal week schedule looks like, the distances they are running, they speeds they are running, what rest and recovery looks like.
‘Everything needed to manage their welfare and recovery together.
Carrick’s to-do list – Four things he must fix quickly to halt slide
Manchester United were incredibly generous leading up to Christmas and over the festive period, handing out points at home to Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Wolves before draws away to Leeds and Burnley.
But as is stands, they are firmly within touching distance of the Champions League spots, just a point off fifth place.
Even after being knocked out of the FA Cup, there is still plenty to salvage from the season – if Carrick and his staff can make some quick fixes.
Solve Sesko’s struggles up front
Benjamin Sesko has had some fleeting moments of promise this season but the jury is still out. At times, the Slovenia international has looked effective foil for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, holding the ball up and linking play intelligently in the final third.
But questions over his physicality and unconvincing finishing remain. His performance against Burnley largely summed things up – scoring twice with two excellent finishes in the second-half but only after a thoroughly wretched display in the opening 45 where he could barely keep the ball under control.
Another goal against Brighton on Sunday means the 22-year-old has scored more under Darren Fletcher than he did under Amorim. A change of system and playing style has offered early promise.
Abandon the dreaded 3-4-3
It would serve as a huge shock were Carrick to persist with the system that became nothing but a cross to bear for Amorim.
Carrick very rarely deviated from a 4-2-3-1 formation at Middlesbrough, sometimes to his detriment, with a lack of a ‘plan B’ often cited as one of the reasons his failed to achieve promotion.
But this system appears to be perfectly suited to the Red Devils squad. Too often it has been a case of square pegs in round holes for United over the last year. Simplifying matters may be the interim boss’ best course of action in the six months he has.
Reintegrate Mainoo and revive his United fortunes
As he may have been privately hoping for all season, Kobbie Mainoo has managed to outlast Ruben Amorim. With no Premier League starts to his name, it has been a miserable campaign but the change in system will surely open up a role in midfield for the 20-year-old.
United are desperately short of the controlling, calm presence Carrick once provided in the engine room. Who better to teach Mainoo the ropes.
It’s a two-way street – United need inspiration in midfield and Mainoo needs to deliver if he is to stand any chance of forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad heading to the World Cup next summer. There can be no more excuses.
Unleash Fernandes in his old role
Restoring Mainoo to midfield and a shift in system could see Bruno Fernandes restored to the more advanced role where he has historically been at his prolific best in Manchester.
The Portugal international scored 44 goals and laid on 35 assists in his 97 games while Carrick served as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s assistant, averaging 0.81 goal contributions per game.
It might require some tinkering with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo also in the picture but the rewards could be enormous.
Fernandes has performed admirably in his deeper role this season but it is further up the pitch where he is most dangerous. Amid reports the captain has had enough of Old Trafford, keeping him happy is a top priority.
Tony Mogan, live sports editor,
‘I am sure they will have been in contact or have some access to information while with the national set up. When they come back to the club, they will most likely have a transition plan in place. They can quickly determine what sort of exposure they have had and there will be a medical evaluation to make sure everything is close to where it was before they left and identify any potential issues.’
Following major international tournaments in the summer, we would typically see players who advanced to the knockout stages given an extra rest period before returning for pre-season. With AFCON coming smack in the middle of the season, clubs are unlikely to be able to afford such luxuries.
United played six matches while the duo were away, one more than Cameroon and Ivory Coast. Given the relentless fixture schedule their teammates have been on back in Manchester, United may feel Amad and Mbeumo’s levels are in line with the rest of the squad as they prepare to run the gauntlet again.
‘There will be a lot of pressure (to get these players back into the team straight away), particularly if you are fighting for Europe,’ Smith said.
‘But there is pressure on all the teams across the league. Of course it also depends on the individual returning. If the work they have been doing has been relatively consistent with what they would have been doing if they hadn’t been away, you would be less concerned.
‘If things were wildly inconsistent in terms of the demands placed on them, you need to take a more measured approach to that. But if you have a highly competitive game coming up and you need that player to play in that game, it leaves you with a big decision. It isn’t a straight forward plan, it is always a complex problem they are trying to solve here.’
