Will AFCON absences kill Man Utd’s push for Europe?

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on 21 December, landing squarely in the middle of the Premier League’s most punishing stretch of the season.

With the festive fixture list, tight turnarounds and the FA Cup third round all crammed into a three-week window, losing players to international duty is more than an irritation –  it can derail an entire campaign.

Some clubs, though, will feel nothing at all. Arsenal and Chelsea are among the fortunate few who will be completely unaffected by AFCON absences. While title rivals wrestle with threadbare squads, they glide into the new year untouched, tactically stable and fully stocked.

Elsewhere, the damage is far more severe. Sunderland, the surprise package of the season, are set to lose up to seven players, a staggering blow for a club with a thin squad already punching above its weight. Wolves, fighting at the opposite end of the table, are also heavily stripped back and could lose multiple regular starters during a period where every point is precious.

But while other clubs will lose more bodies, Manchester United may be the side hit hardest of all because of who they are losing.

United are set to be without three players during AFCON 2025: Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui.

The trio have cost the club a combined £125 million (Mbeumo £71m, Diallo £37m, Mazraoui £17m). And crucially, two of them – Mbeumo and Diallo – have become central pillars of United’s attack this season.

Mbeumo has added pace, incision and final-third consistency, providing goals and assists that finally give United the wide threat they have been missing. Diallo has brought fluid movement, versatility and creativity, flourishing in a more prominent role and contributing directly to United’s improved attacking output. Losing both at once rips out much of the side’s dynamism and penetration.

Mazraoui’s departure, while less headline-grabbing, further thins a defensive unit that has already been stretched by injuries and inconsistency.@manchesterunited

Across December and January, United could be without all three for up to seven matches in the league and FA Cup – a period that will shape their chances of finishing in the European places.

While Sunderland and Wolves may lose more players numerically, no Premier League side loses as much value, influence and current importance as Manchester United. In a season where their margin for error is already minimal, the timing could hardly be worse.

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