Amorim flags injury blow and AFCON drain: Šeško out for weeks, Mainoo to train as Amad, Mbeumo, Mazraoui eye early release

Ruben Amorim’s latest briefing delivered a sharp reality check. Benjamin Šeško is ruled out for a few weeks, with a return penciled in around the time Africa Cup of Nations call-ups bite. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui could be released as early as two weeks before the tournament’s start on December 21, tightening the schedule crunch. Kobbie Mainoo has a knock but is expected to train. For any squad juggling festive fixtures, it’s a test of depth, adaptability and nerve. Rival coaches will smell weakness. Fans already do the math on rotations, roles and the next man up.

In a scheduled press briefing, Ruben Amorim outlined a multi-part squad update: a short-term absence for Benjamin Šeško, potential early national team releases ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations beginning December 21, and a minor issue for Kobbie Mainoo who is still set to rejoin training. The timing intersects with a congested domestic calendar and FIFA release windows, creating immediate selection pressure for league and cup fixtures.

Ruben Amorim’s press conference summary: • Benjamin Sesko will be out for a few weeks, he will return when the others leave for AFCON. • Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui could leave two weeks before the start of AFCON, which is December 21. • Mainoo is injured but will train

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

In practical terms, the headline is twofold: a short but disruptive injury to Benjamin Šeško and the looming early-release window for AFCON players. Even a few weeks out strips rhythm from a striker built on timing, repeat sprints and instinctive finishing patterns. Return-to-play might align with AFCON departures, meaning the coaching staff will be forced to rewire attacking mechanisms twice in a short span - once to cover Šeško’s absence, again to reintegrate him against a reshuffled supporting cast.

The AFCON piece is more complex. Clubs can be asked to release players up to two weeks early depending on federation demands and fitness protocols. If Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui exit early, managers lose wide progression, depth at right back, and variation in 1v1 profiles at precisely the point the fixture list accelerates. It stresses substitution patterns and compresses tactical flexibility. Training-ground workarounds become decisive: inverted full backs, a left wingback like Luke Shaw to shift the build-out angles, and potential emergency minutes for a hybrid defender-midfielder such as Lisandro Martínez if match states turn chaotic.

Layer in Kobbie Mainoo’s knock - even if he trains, rhythm lags behind availability. Young midfielders rely on continuity to keep their scanning and body-shape habits automatic. Miss sessions, and the half-second delay shows up under pressure. Net effect: risk tolerance must be managed better, rotation decisions sharpened, and set piece margins prioritized while key profiles ebb and flow around AFCON release dates.

Reaction

Fan chatter tilts anxious and confrontational. One camp is already bracing for AFCON attrition - "Would miss them during AFCON" sums it up. Another calls for hardball on release timing, arguing the club should push back against two-week early departures. Tactical fixes pop up fast: a plea to start Luke Shaw at left wingback, and a bolder shout to run Lisandro Martínez at defensive midfield when Casemiro fades late, trusting his line-breaking passes to carry buildup. Skeptics roast the touchline decisions, calling the coach small-minded for not trying progressive tweaks.

Patience is thin around injuries too. Mainoo’s issue draws a jab - how do you get hurt without playing - and there’s a wider demand to hear updates straight from the coach on camera. At the optimistic end, some insist the squad is being tested but will cope, leaning on Shaw’s versatility and the imminent return of the Butcher as the tide-turners. The throughline: nerves about losing ball carriers and vertical runners right when the calendar tightens, mixed with a stubborn belief that smart selection can still squeeze points.

Social reactions

Appreciate But doesn't hit like "hearing from the horse's mouth"

Omodolapo (@Dolly_Drizzy)

Mainoo gets injured without playing

da nail guy💅 (@martin_taremwa7)

Everything is altered by the Butcher's return. Shaw's adaptability is also a weapon. No justifications. The team needs to step up.

CBD-UTD (@yungemma18)

Prediction

If early AFCON releases lock in around December 21, staff will pre-empt by front-loading minutes for non-AFCON options over the next two weeks, rehearsing combinations that survive without Amad and coverage on the right if Mazraoui departs. Expect a pragmatic swing: 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 with narrower wingers and Shaw at LWB to manufacture overloads. In late-game states, a Martínez cameo at DM is highly plausible, especially if the side needs a passer who can split the first line while protecting transitions with smart angles rather than raw pace.

Šeško’s timeline suggests he returns into a churning context. The likely pattern is 20-30 minute cameos before a full start once AFCON absences stabilize the roles around him. Mainoo’s training return should be managed conservatively - one start too early and you lose three. In the points column, the next four league matches could settle around a grindy 7-9 points if set pieces land and the bench elevates. Cup rotation becomes ruthless. January then turns on whether AFCON overlaps get cushioned by an unexpected breakout - a youth winger punching above his weight or a defender stepping into hybrid build-up duty.

Latest today

• Man United set three-man midfield shortlist: Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba
• David Alaba skips outdoor training at Valdebebas - precaution or fresh fitness worry for R...
• Manchester United step up U17 World Cup scouting for Seydou Dembélé and Michael Noonan
• Rival view: Tchouameni may return Sunday, but expect limited minutes at best

Conclusion

From a rival’s seat, this is the window you pounce. A brittle spine, a winger drain, and a midfield metronome nursing a knock - that’s not an elite juggernaut, that’s a target. I’ve seen dressing rooms creak in December when rhythm players vanish for international duty. The game gets slower, passes drift a yard behind the run, and opponents play on your nerves. If the staff gamble on early returns, they risk compounding the problem. If they play it safe, they might bleed points anyway. Pick your poison.

Champions ride through this with structure and cruelty. The moment Shaw shifts to LWB or Martínez dabbles at DM, you press the new hinges and ask the questions they least want to answer. Šeško’s absence might be short, but timing is a gift you lose quickly and regain slowly. Meanwhile Mainoo’s availability on paper won’t mean sharpness under pressure. In short, the door is ajar. If they don’t slam it shut fast, the table will do it for them.