Mantato & Mainoo in: Amorim must trust youth to build perfect Man Utd XI during AFCON

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is staring at a major selection dilemma that could define his season.

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are all set to jet off for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), leaving huge gaps in United’s squad.

AFCON runs from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, slicing straight through a crucial part of the Premier League calendar.

Depending on how far their national teams progress, the trio could miss as many as six league matches.

We discussed yesterday how Amorim could field the United XI during this period but that is not necessarily the best side.

Amorim now has the perfect chance to trust the academy and make bold tweaks that inject freshness, energy and belief into this squad.

Here is how the Portuguese coach could field his best possible XI during AFCON.

Goalkeeper

Senne Lammens

Senne Lammens has kept only one clean sheet since his debut at Sunderland, but he has brought a calmness and composure that United desperately lacked.

He remains the clear choice to continue between the posts.

Defence

Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez

The return of Lisandro Martinez is the biggest boost Amorim could have hoped for ahead of this testing period.

Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt should partner him to form a robust back three.

With Maguire and De Ligt holding the line, Martinez will have the freedom to step into midfield and help United build attacks with control.

Wing-backs

Bendito Mantato, Luke Shaw

Diogo Dalot did get himself on the scoresheet against West Ham United, but he has struggled badly as a wing-back.

Patrick Dorgu has shown promise, but he is far too raw for a period where United need reliability.

Luke Shaw is tailor-made for this role and gives United immediate quality on the left flank.

With Diallo unavailable, Amorim might be tempted to play it safe with Dalot on the right but the braver and better choice is Bendito Mantato.

The 17-year-old is one of United’s brightest prospects and could be the closest thing to a like-for-like Diallo replacement.

His pace, directness and eye for goal could give United a completely different weapon down the right.

He could provide the width by making darting runs and also has a knack for scoring goals.

Midfield

Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo

The midfield remains intact during AFCON, but this period demands a tweak in approach.

With Mbeumo and Diallo missing from the attacking line, shifting Bruno Fernandes into one of the two number 10 roles becomes the obvious solution.

Despite his limitations, Casemiro has fared well this season and must retain his spot.

Kobbie Mainoo must get regular opportunities in the number eight spot to showcase his talent.

The 20-year-old is pushing for a loan move in January, and another snub from Amorim could push him even closer to the exit door.

Attack

Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko

Fernandes should play just behind the striker, linking up with Matheus Cunha to form a creative and aggressive attacking duo.

Fernandes is one of the best attacking midfielders, and deploying him higher up gives United the spark they lose with Mbeumo’s absence.

Sesko will hope to get regular starts after being on the sidelines since suffering a knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Shea Lacey should be eased in from the bench, giving the 18-year-old valuable senior minutes without overwhelming him.

He is a special talent, and a few explosive cameos could be the perfect introduction to first-team football.

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .