How Man Utd will make major Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo decision for Man City clash

Two of United’s best players this season are back (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United will call upon Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo once again for their derby showdown with Manchester City on Saturday.

The two were almost ever-present in Ruben Amorim ’s starting XI leading up to Christmas, forging an impressive partnership down the right with Amad operating from wing-back with Mbeumo ahead of him.

The pair left Manchester following the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth on 15 December as the Africa Cup of Nations took centre stage. The journey for Cameroon and Ivory Coast came to an end last weekend however, crashing out after defeats to Morocco and Egypt respectively at the quarter-final stage.

While devastating for the players, the timing suits United. The two returned to training on Wednesday and are expected to be involved when City come to Old Trafford on Saturday for Michael Carrick’s first game in charge as interim boss.

But how much will a major international competition, coupled with the heartbreak of a relatively early exit, have taken out of them?

Mbeumo racked up 405 minutes of playing time across five matches for his country. Amad, who scored three goals during an excellent campaign, hit 353.

While the pair have spent the last month thousands of miles away from Carrington and the United coaches who regularly monitor them at every turn, United will have done their due diligence to ensure they return able to slot straight back into the side.

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Cameroon and Ivory Coast were eliminated last week (Picture: Getty)

Stephen Smith, CEO and founder of Kitman Labs which specialises in injury welfare and performance analytics, explains steps to ensure Amad and Mbeumo are fit enough to make an immediate impact will have been taken long before their return to training this week.

‘The process starts before they head off for the tournament,’ Smith told Metro. ‘The best clubs are the ones interacting with the national sides beforehand, giving them a picture of how they are normally training and playing, what a normal week schedule looks like, the distances they are running, they speeds they are running, what rest and recovery looks like.

‘Everything needed to manage their welfare and recovery together.

@metrosportuk Is Carrick a good choice for United? 🤷‍♂️ Manchester United legend Michael Carrick has reportedly emerged as the favourite to step in as caretaker manager for the Red Devils following Ruben Amorim’s sacking, is it actually a good idea to bring him in? #carrick #manchesterunited #middlesbrough #premierleague #championship ♬ original sound - Metro Sport

Mainoo could be reborn following Amorim's exit (Picture: Getty)

‘I am sure they will have been in contact or have some access to information while with the national set up. When they come back to the club, they will most likely have a transition plan in place. They can quickly determine what sort of exposure they have had and there will be a medical evaluation to make sure everything is close to where it was before they left and identify any potential issues.’

Following major international tournaments in the summer, we would typically see players who advanced to the knockout stages given an extra rest period before returning for pre-season. With AFCON coming smack in the middle of the season, clubs are unlikely to be able to afford such luxuries.

Amad was back at Carrington on Wednesday (Picture: Manchester United via Getty Images)

United played six matches while the duo were away, one more than Cameroon and Ivory Coast. Given the relentless fixture schedule their teammates have been on back in Manchester, United may feel Amad and Mbeumo’s levels are in line with the rest of the squad as they prepare to run the gauntlet again.

‘There will be a lot of pressure (to get these players back into the team straight away), particularly if you are fighting for Europe,’ Smith said.

‘But there is pressure on all the teams across the league. Of course it also depends on the individual returning. If the work they have been doing has been relatively consistent with what they would have been doing if they hadn’t been away, you would be less concerned.