Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee and the six Man Utd players who can take advantage of Red Devils' AFCON absences

The Africa Cup of Nations is the biggest event for the continent's football outside of the World Cup, but for clubs, especially ones in the Premier League, it can create a major headache. This time around, the next month could be a particularly painful period for Manchester United, as the tournament will deprive them of three of their usual starting XI in Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo.The three players form the entire right side of Ruben Amorim's first-choice team, having played a combined 3,051 minutes this term. That is the second-most minutes played by those from a single Premier League club who are heading to AFCON, only behind Fulham. Amad, Mbeumo and Mazraoui also have 11 goals and assists between them, the joint-highest in the league along with Fulham's Nigerian trio of Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze. While Mazraoui has been in and out of the team due to struggles with injury, Mbeumo has started every Premier League game while Amad has missed just one. Mbeumo is United's top scorer with six goals while Amad is the fourth-biggest provider of goals for Amorim's side.But the pair provide much more than goals and assists given their impressive mutual understanding down the right flank, as well as their stamina and effort levels. Their importance to the team can be seen in how much work went into ensuring that they were both available to play against Bournemouth on Monday, even though that was the deadline set by FIFA for all players to be released for the tournament.But every crisis also represents opportunity, and the tournament in Morocco is a lifeline for several United players, who can use the next four weeks and seven matches to prove their worth and reclaim their place in Amorim's plans...Kobbie Mainoo's brother got a lot of attention with his 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' t-shirt during the Bournemouth game, but AFCON should at least lead to the academy graduate getting far more minutes. Although Mainoo's favoured position of No.8 is not being freed up, the three extra places in the starting XI that are now up for grabs present lots of opportunities for him. If Amorim largely keeps his 3-4-3 formation over the next month, Mainoo can take Mbeumo's place as one of the No.10s. It is a role he excelled in during a Europa League game at FCSB last season, setting up a goal for Diogo Dalot before scoring himself. Alternatively, Amorim could shift Bruno Fernandes into the slot vacated by Mbeumo and Mainoo could finally take up the midfield role that is forever occupied by the United captain.Incidentally, Casemiro's one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation means another place in midfield will be open against Aston Villa on Sunday. In other words, if Mainoo is not in the line-up at Villa Park, then the player's entire family might start calling out the manager via their clothing.Joshua Zirkzee's bit-part status in the United team was summed up when he was brought on in injury time against Bournemouth and with only five minutes left at Wolves the previous week. His only regular run in the line-up came when he started three games while Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko were out injured, and while he mostly struggled to have an impact, Zirkzee did remind fans of his ability to score difficult goals by firing in from the tightest of angles at Crystal Palace.Zirkzee can play as a No.10 while Mbeumo is away, and a regular run of games could be just what he needs to regain his confidence and to add a couple of more goals to his slender tally of seven strikes since joining the club in 2024 for £34 million ($45m).United's biggest signing of the summer has also been the most disappointing. There has been a lot of scrutiny around Benjamin Sesko due to his £74m ($99m) transfer fee, and so far there is little evidence that he is any upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund, especially now that the Dane is scoring regularly for Napoli. Sesko has just returned after more than a month out injured, and there is now extra responsibility on him to start delivering with Mbeumo out of action. Sesko has not always started games even when fit, but the shortage of attackers now means he should be in nearly every line-up until Mbeumo returns. The absences of the Cameroon international and Amad could also benefit Sesko in a different way, as the team will have to re-think how they play given they will be lacking the lightning-quick pace of the African duo. It thus makes more sense to use Sesko as focal point and play more crosses in towards him, giving him the chance to make the most of his 6'5" height.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingBorn and raised in Liverpool and with a season ticket at Anfield for several years, Shea Lacey earned a reputation for imitating Ronaldinho's tricks when he was a toddler. He has spent most of his life rising through United's academy and is on the cusp of making his debut after being named on the bench in four of the last five games. The 18-year-old, who got a smattering of first-team experience in May during the post-season tour of Asia, might be young and raw. However, he has the advantage of being a left-footed right-winger and therefore the best like-for-like replacement for both Amad and Mbeumo in the squad.Patrick Dorgu was Amorim's first signing back in January, but his importance has really waned within the last month, starting only one game since the last international break. Dalot has usurped him as the left-wing-back even though he is right-footed, with the Portuguese massively improving in recent weeks while contributing to goals in the last three games.However, the absences of Mazraoui and Amad mean that Amorim could be left with little choice but to put Dalot back on the right flank, either as a wing-back or in a more traditional back four if the coach repeats the shape he deployed against Bournemouth. Dorgu has been a frustrating player to watch due to his wayward passes when he gets to the byline, but the only way for him to improve is with more game time, and he is about to get just that.Tyler Fredricson made two Premier League appearances last season, and on Monday against Bournemouth he was back on the bench for the first time in three months, helped by Mazraoui not being released by Morocco. His last first-team appearance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town, when he was taken off after just 45 minutes with the team trailing 2-0 to the League Two side, showed that he still has a lot to learn. But United's lack of defensive options, with Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire likely to be unavailable again for the trip to Villa, means he is next in line, and just one more injury over the next month will mean Amorim has to turn to Fredricson again. It will be a steep learning curve for him, a case of sink or swim, but given how much he has faded from the team since his debut, it is an opportunity Fredricson cannot afford to not take.