Bryan Mbeumo dream situation all set for Man Utd that will help Ruben Amorim

Bryan Mbeumo’s focus will be fully on Manchester United come the start of the 2026/27 season, as the Cameroon star was handed a devastating blow in his nation’s World Cup qualifying endeavours

Manchester United have been granted a dream scenario with regards to Bryan Mbeumo in Cameroon’s loss to DR Congo on Thursday. The Red Devils snapped up the attacker from Brentford this summer for up to £71million.

Since his move, Mbeumo has netted six times and provided one assist in 12 appearances across all competitions, including a goal at Anfield against bitter rivals Liverpool. However, United boss Ruben Amorim is set to lose his key forward at the end of December and into January as Cameroon are set to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Their group stage matches kick off on December 24, with Gabon, Ivory Coast and Mozambique being their three opponents. If Cameroon advance into the latter stages of the tournament, Mbeumo could be absent until as late as January 18.

READ MORE: Eric Cantona accuses Sir Jim Ratcliffe of “destroying” Man Utd legacy in fresh attackREAD MORE: Man Utd star Bryan Mbeumo’s telling reaction after World Cup heartbreak

The fixtures he is certain to miss include home games against Newcastle United and Wolves, and likely an away trip to Leeds. A journey to Burnley could also be missed, and potentially the Manchester derby if Cameroon make it to the semi-finals, reports the Manchester Evening News.

On the bright side, while Mbeumo’s winter schedule will be disrupted by international duties, he will have the entire summer off after Cameroon failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The nation faced DR Congo in a play-off match on Thursday, where Lille’s Chancel Mbemba scored the only goal of the game to break Cameroonian hearts.

DR Congo are set to face Nigeria in the final of the African play-offs, marking the end of Cameroon’s hopes for qualification. Despite holding the record for the most World Cup appearances in Africa, having qualified eight times, Cameroon will not be part of the expanded 48-team tournament next year.

United fans may see a silver lining in Mbeumo’s disappointment as he exited the pitch post-match. With an increasingly packed annual fixture list and the African Cup of Nations looming, a summer rest ahead of his second season at Old Trafford could be beneficial.

He’ll be rejuvenated and ready to hit the ground running when the 2026/27 season kicks off.

United have experienced a revival in recent weeks following a disappointing end to their previous campaign, which saw them finish 15th and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham.

This term, with no European football to compete in, their full attention is on the Premier League and securing a return to the Champions League. Mbeumo has been instrumental in their recent run of form, contributing to four wins and two draws in their last seven matches.

After the international break, United are set to host Everton at Old Trafford before travelling to Crystal Palace at the end of the month. Amorim will be hoping his star player can quickly move past the World Cup disappointment, with the focus firmly on climbing the league table in the coming weeks.

It comes as Cristiano Ronaldo suffered heartbreak of his own on Thursday evening, seeing red during Portugal’s clash with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. The 40-year-old was initially only handed a yellow when he elbowed Dara O’Shea off the ball in the centre of the Irish area.

However, after a review from VAR, referee Glynn Nyberg attended the pitch-side monitor for a second look at the incident – upgrading his card to a straight red in the aftermath. Portugal also lost the match 2-0 thanks to a Troy Parrott brace.

It means that Ronaldo will miss his nation’s final World Cup qualifier against Armenia, who currently sit bottom of Group F. He may also see himself suspended for Portugal’s first match of the 2026 World Cup, depending on the punishment he receives for the sending-off and if Portugal qualify.

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