According to reports, Manchester United are about to step up their efforts to keep three players set for the African Cup of Nations for an extra game.

Man Utdcrashed down to earth on Monday night as Everton ended their unbeaten run in the Premier League.

They had been praised for their improved form under head coachRuben Amorimas his tactical tweaks and the positive impact made by summer signings contributed to their five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

This is why the 1-0 loss to 10-man Everton was so disappointing, with this result putting Amorim and his players back under intense scrutiny.

Man Utd will look to return to winning ways this weekend as they travel to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, but they will soon be dealt a further blow as Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and?Noussair Mazraoui are set to feature at next month’s African Cup of Nations.

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The AFCON is running between December 21 and January 18, with Man Utd facing being without Mbeumo, Amad and/or Mazraoui for a maximum of eight Premier League matches.

At the moment, Man Utd’s game against Wolves at Molineux on December 8 is due to be their final match before the major tournament, but a report from The Daily Mailare reportedly trying to keep them for the match against Bournemouth on December 15.

United are said to be ‘scrambling to keep this star trio for an extra game’ and they ‘will accelerate discussions’ over their ‘release dates’ in the coming days.

It is also noted that they ‘will seek assistance from the three national federations after Everton exposed the lack of depth in Amorim’s squad’, while they could repeat a ‘struck deal’ with Andre Onana before the 2023 AFCON.

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The report claims:

‘Confidential revealed that United struck a deal with Cameroon so Andre Onana ended up missing only one game during the last AFCON two years ago, and Amorim confirmed last week that the club are exploring ways to hold onto Mbeumo, Diallo and Mazraoui for as long as possible.’

Amorim, meanwhile, has issued a warning to summer signing Benjamin Sesko and explained why he is not guaranteed to start for Man Utd when he’s fit.

“We did that against Liverpool. It wasn’t with Bryan Mbeumo, it was with Cunha, and it is an option we have,” Amorim claimed.

“Nowadays, not only in the English league but also in the Portuguese league and across all leagues, there is a big variation in how teams build their play. We do not control it fully. We can call it a 4-4-2, but after five minutes it becomes a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3.

“I am willing to do anything. Contrary to what many people think, I am not fixed on just one idea. I simply start from a base, but it is obvious that we can adapt in future.

“We have already considered that with Bryan, because he is very strong in transitions. I do not think it is his best position, because he prefers to stay hidden and not be so visible. He can attack and be more dangerous on either side, whether on the right or the left, than as a central forward.

“But it is a good option and something I could use in future, as I have already done several times in the past.”