Noussair Mazraoui has been called up to Morocco’s squad for their forthcoming African Cup of Nations campaign, setting in stone that he will be unavailable for Manchester United over the festive period.While it was widely anticipated that the full-back would be included in Walid Regragui’s selection, the full team was only confirmed this afternoon. اللائحة الرسمية لمنتخبنا الوطني المستدعاة للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا — المغرب 2025 🏆 The official squad list called up for our National Team for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations — Morocco 2025#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 | #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/t86rcbpdDp — Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) December 11, 2025Morocco are hosting this year’s tournament, which will only spur them on even more to try and secure their second-ever title on home turf, surrounded by their ever-faithful supporters.Mazraoui’s presence will only aid their quest, too.Mazraoui among United trio heading to AFCON(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)He is one of three United stars departing for the tournament before Christmas, with Amad Diallo ready to represent the Ivory Coast and Bryan Mbeumo, Cameroon.It does, of course, mean Ruben Amorim will be left short on options, and will have to navigate the most hectic stretch of the season without his trusted trio. Mazraoui has made nine Premier League appearances this term, including starts in the last two matches against West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Additionally, he has been an unused substitute on two occasions and missed four games through two separate injury issues – though he has managed to stay fit since making his return to action on November 1.When will Mazraoui and co leave Manchester?(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Amorim told reporters after the Wolves win that he was seeking clarification over when he would have to release the trio. #mufc’s AFCON trio preparing for Bournemouth game. Outside chance club could clarify decision on Mazraoui, Mbeumo and Amad today or they’ll leave it to Amorim at Carrington tomorrowhttps://t.co/U29u7BY29y — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 11, 2025The mandatory release date for all clubs is currently set at Monday, December 15, in order to allow national teams ample time to prepare for their respective campaigns.Unfortunately for United, it coincides with their home clash against Bournemouth, who’ve claimed back-to-back 3-0 victories at Old Trafford in their last two visits.

Prior to his Manchester United move in 2022, Antony was being strongly considered as a potential addition at Barcelona, according to ex-Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff.At the time, he had become one of the most sought-after wingers on the market and had even been linked to Liverpool before they also pursued alternative options instead.Unsurprisingly, United were the only ones willing to meet Ajax’s hefty demands of £86 million.How Antony’s Ajax exit came to fruition(Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)It came in the closing stages of a summer window that had seen them facilitate the departures of Ryan Gravenberch, Lisandro Martinez and Sebastian Haller, meaning they were adamant about getting their money’s worth if they were forced to do business again.Antony attempted to force the board’s hands into sanctioning his exit by refusing to train at the time United had made their proposal, while he also publicly expressed his desire to complete the switch to Old Trafford, where he was instantly reunited with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.Without dissecting exactly where it went wrong for the Brazilian at the club, it’s safe to say his tenure will go down as one of the most unsuccessful ones of the last decade.Not only did Antony fail to meet the standards and level required of him to succeed in the Premier League, but he couldn’t find any prolific form in Europe, either.When he completed a permanent transfer to Real Betis on deadline day in September, he pulled the curtains on his Red Devils tenure after recording only 12 goals and five assists in 96 appearances across all competitions.Cruyff recalls Barcelona’s Antony interest(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Alas, Barcelona chiefs will be counting their lucky stars that their interest in the attacker never materialised, as they instead opted to sign Raphinha from Leeds United in a deal worth £55m.“I remember there was a moment we wanted a winger and we had to choose between Raphinha and Antony,” Cruyff revealed to the Stick to Football panel in today’s episode.“And when you have a fair play issue, of course, Antony in the end went for much more money than anybody expected.“But we really had to make choices based on, ‘Okay, if he succeeds in the Premier League and things go wrong, we’ll always get our money back.”He continued: “We looked at both [Antony and Raphinha], basically.“But Antony, we liked [him] because it’s a Spanish [thing]; I mean, now he’s in Betis and he is doing a really good job – like, he’s a special player.“But back then, we were thinking if we signed a player from Holland and things [went] wrong, you’ll never get your money back.”

Ruben Amorim might still be navigating a few injury woes heading into the side’s clash against Bournemouth.Thankfully for the Manchester United boss, his players will have more time to try and reach full fitness, as the Reds are once again the final fixture of matchweek 16, having been scheduled for the Monday evening slot for the second successive week.Until then, fans will be awaiting clarification on Amorim’s options for the outing and who might be rendered unavailable to take on the Cherries at Old Trafford.Who could be missing for Amorim vs Bournemouth?(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)For the most recent matches, the coach has had to make do without Benjamin Sesko, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt – all of whom were absent for Thursday’s training session at Carrington.Samuel Luckhurst confirmed that the trio were nowhere to be seen as the rest of their teammates started their preparations this afternoon, prompting young Jack Fletcher to be called up to test his resolve amongst the senior squad. No sign of Maguire, De Ligt or Sesko training with #mufc today. Jack Fletcher involved. — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 11, 2025Both Sesko and Maguire have been ruled out since before the November international break, when they sustained injuries in the 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.Meanwhile, De Ligt had started every game and played the full 90 minutes up to the contest against West Ham on December 4, when he was omitted from the matchday squad due to a fitness issue.Amorim sweating on trio’s recovery(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)19-year-old Ayden Heaven was deployed from the off in De Ligt’s absence, and retained his place for the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers despite Leny Yoro being available.Amorim will likely provide more clarity over his sidelined Reds when he addresses the press on Friday afternoon.Read more: Ben Foster says Amorim has a player in his ranks who’s just ‘unreal’, and he’s ‘getting even better’

Diego Leon’s agent has addressed the prospect of the youngster leaving Manchester United on loan in January.It comes amid growing speculation that the defender would depart Manchester to start racking up some senior experience elsewhere.Leon, 18, officially completed his switch to the club in July on a five-year deal from Cerro Porteno, with United agreeing a package worth £3 million upfront and £4.3 million in add-ons.Diego Leon: The state of play heading into January(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)One touted destination for Leon was Nice, given that they’re another INEOS-owned outfit that could offer him first-team minutes over in Ligue 1 before he would return to United in the summer and evaluate his future with the club.However, his representative, Renato Bittar, has dismissed such rumours, while expressing there are currently no plans in place for his client to join a new team – although that may change in the coming weeks.“The truth is that he is living exactly what we planned,” said Bittar, as relayed by Ramiro Aranda.“We are not clear if he will go out on loan now. It wouldn’t be good to cut his season shirt. He is evolving, adding minutes in the Under-21s, and that is positive.” 🇵🇾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 “Hicieron un ‘Une con flecha’, sobre su ida al Niza, la verdad es que él está viviendo exactamente lo que nosotros planeamos. No tenemos claro si va a salir a préstamo ahora, no sería bueno cortar su temporada. Está evolucionado, sumando minutos en la Sub-21 y eso es… pic.twitter.com/daJ4PDwA6B — Ramiro Aranda Futbol Py (@Ramirofutbolpy) December 10, 2025Leon still awaiting United debut(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)Despite making the matchday squad on four occasions this term (three times in the Premier League and once in the League Cup), Leon is still awaiting his maiden outing in a United shirt.The fact that Ruben Amorim’s men have only one game a week to account for in 2025/2026 isn’t aiding the promotion of well-performing academy talents. Had United progressed past the second round of the Carabao Cup or even had some Champions League/Europa League fixtures to prepare for, it would’ve posed as the perfect opportunity to call upon young stars who are chomping at the bit to prove themselves in the senior setup.

AC Milan have become the latest club in Serie A to express their interest in signing Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee.The Dutchman has been playing his football at Old Trafford since making the £37.5 million move from Bologna in the summer of 2024.The 24-year-old had his highs and lows last season, but eventually managed to win over the crowds, as well as Ruben Amorim, who considered him an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund. Therefore, the Dane was pushed to the exit door last summer, while Zirkzee was kept at Carrington. Zirkzee’s stats at Man Utd Appearances Goals Assists 2024/25 49 7 3 2025/26 9 1 0 However, this proved to be a blessing in disguise for Hojlund, who has been playing regularly at Napoli, and even found his scoring touch.On the contrary, the Netherlands international has been struggling for game time, as Amorim placed him at the bottom of the attacking pecking order, with Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha both playing ahead of him in the centre-forward role.Joshua Zirkzee wanted by another Serie A giantWith the Dutch attacker growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of minutes, Roma emerged as the frontrunners in the race to sign him in January.And yet, Sky Sports claimed on Wednesday that Zirkzee is keen to stay at Man Utd and fight for his place in the team.Zirkzee already managed to impress with a ‘wonderful’ display against Crystal Palace when given the opportunity, albeit he was less clinical in his two other starts against Everton and West Ham.(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)However, La Gazzetta dello Sport (via TuttoMercatoWeb) has reported interest from Milan on Thursday morning.The famous Italian newspaper insists that the Rossoneri have also identified the Man Utd star as their priority target ahead of the January transfer window. The Serie A giants are eager to offload the ineffective Santi Gimenez and make room for a new arrival.Why Zirkzee could be tempted by Milan moveHaving already played in Serie A with Parma and Bologna, Zirkzee is familiar with the Italian hierarchy. While Rome are certainly one of the most renowned and beloved clubs in the country, Milan represents Calcio royalty.Hence, snubbing Roma in favour of a secondary role at Man Utd doesn’t necessarily mean that the striker won’t be tempted by the opportunity to play his football at San Siro.If the seven-time Champions League winners were to launch a concrete offer, Zirkzee’s resolve will truly be tested.

(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly decided to stay and fight for his place at Manchester United instead of leaving next month.That’s according to Sky Sports, which adds that AS Roma are hot in pursuit of the forward, but are set to be unsuccessful in their attempts to prise him from Old Trafford.The Serie A outfit had set their sights on an initial loan followed by a potential permanent deal, depending on their circumstances and what was agreed between the two sides.Why Zirkzee has U-turned on his United future (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)However, the fact that Zirkzee has been utilised more by Ruben Amorim over the last month has seemingly prompted him to want to stay put.He was granted his first start of the campaign in the defeat to Everton on November 24 and retained his spot for the win over Crystal Palace six days later, during which he directly contributed to United securing their first win at Selhurst Park since 2020 by netting the equaliser.It marked his first goal of the term, and perhaps the most impressive of his Red Devils career thus far.The 24-year-old was also named in the XI for the visit of West Ham last Thursday, but did drop to the bench when United took to Molineux on Monday evening, with Amorim limiting him to just a six-minute cameo in the dying embers of the clash.United’s absentee list could work in Zirkzee’s favour(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Even still, Zirkzee will likely recognise there should be an opportunity for him to stake his claim when Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo jet off to represent their countries in the African Cup of Nations later this month.Additionally, Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined with a knee injury, leaving the door open for the Dutchman to increase his game time while his teammate works his way back to full fitness.