Ryan Giggs makes a bold claim surrounding the three stars AFCON has taken away and how Manchester United replace them.
Manchester United return to action in the Premier League against the high-flying third-place Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The Villains have won all nine of their last matches in all competitions, as well as being unbeaten at home all season. This match will be a tough encounter for United.
A win is vital for Ruben Amorim as United push to stay in the race for Europe. Three points would put the Red Devils level with fourth-place Chelsea on 29 points.
After the thrilling 4-4 draw at home to Bournemouth on Monday, Amorim will be hoping that the potential change in system will make his side better defensively.
Giggs claims there is a silver lining despite AFCON absentees
With AFCON set to begin soon, players have all started their process of joining up with their international teammates.
Manchester United will be without Bryan Mbeumo and Amad, arguably two of the best players this season, as well as Noussair Mazaroui, one of the key members of Amorim’s new leadership group.
Despite some seeing this as a catastrophe, United Legend Ryan Giggs spoke to the Manchester Evening News about how he has spotted a silver lining for the club.
“With Mazraoui, we’ve probably got cover as long as [Matthijs] De Ligt and [Harry] Maguire come back. [Lisandro] Martinez has come back to bolster that defence, which is good timing.
“Mbeumo has probably been the best player so far this season and looks like a real threat. Plays every game, has power, scores goals, and Amad can make things happen.
“So yeah, it’s going to be tough. But with [Benjamin] Sesko coming back, [Matheus] Cunha could drop back into where Mbeumo was playing. Amad will be difficult to replace, and I don’t know how we’re going to do it, whether we are going to change shape.”
The 13-time Premier League winner also earmarked another player who has the potential to grow even more this season after a promising run of games.
“The plus side is that Mason Mount has come back into the team. And that’s a massive plus. You never know how good a player is until they’re playing regularly.
“And now we’re starting to see the Mason Mount that we’ve seen at Chelsea for a number of years. He’s a good, clever player. All the coaches like him. When you’re a manager, you want players you can trust, and he looks like someone you can really trust,” he said.
A change in shape will help the midfield
As Giggs pointed out, a change in shape may be the best way for United to deal with these absentees. We began to see a shift in the game against Bournemouth, as for a period of time the side played in a 4-4-2 shape.
However, could a 4-3-3 be the answer to this predicament Amorim finds himself in?
In terms of natural roles, the midfield will benefit the most. With this being the problem area for United all season, it may be a blessing in disguise to change.
Bruno Fernandes would be utilised in his best position as the sole number ten behind the striker, who will most likely be Benjamin Sesko. Kobbie Mainoo could see himself back in a familiar midfield three that had seen him break into both the United first team and international setup.
While he has not been at his best in a United shirt, a place in a midfield three may also hide some of Manuel Ugarte’s deficiencies that were highlighted in a midfield two.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.