BRYAN MBEUMO is leaving it to Manchester United and Cameroon to sort out his Afcon call-up before tensions flare over his release, SunSport understands.
Mbeumo, who joined United from Brentford this summer for £65million, has settled in well at Old Trafford and is already beginning to repay the club’s massive investment.
He has scored four goals in his first 10 games for United, contributing to what has been their best spell of form under Ruben Amorim since he took charge just over a year ago.
He has also been named Premier League Player of the Month for October.
However, Cameroon face crucial World Cup qualifying play-off matches, in which Mbeumo is expected to feature this month, before heading into the Africa Cup of Nations , which kicks off on December 21.
SunSport understands the striker is eager to represent his country at the tournament, but he is also keen for both his club and national team to reach a compromise over his release date.
According to Fifa’s international competition regulations, clubs must release players two weeks before the start of major tournaments to allow for preparation.
If United were to follow those rules strictly, they could be without trio of Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraou and influential winger Amad Diallo for close to six weeks.
Manchester United face Wolves on December 8, the very day Cameroon are expected to begin their Afcon preparations.
The club is expected to ask the Cameroon FA, led by Samuel Eto’o, to allow Mbeumo to remain in England for key fixtures against Bournemouth on December 13 and Aston Villa on December 21, the day the competition officially kicks off.
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A source in Cameroon told SunSport that officials are open to discussing player release dates when they meet in Morocco next week for their World Cup qualifying play-offs.
In the last Afcon edition, on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was left on the bench for Cameroon’s first opening game, despite the club and the Cameroonian FA having agreed that he could join the squad on the eve of the tournament.
Then-manager Rigobert Song was reportedly furious that Onana had been allowed to play a league game against Tottenham less than 24 hours before Cameroon’s opening match against Guinea.
The result of that decision culminated with a poor tournament for Onana and Cameroon in general.
Sources say Mbeumo is determined not to upset either his employers or his country and wants to ensure a clear agreement is reached over his arrival date.
United will have a similar arrangement for Amad and Mazraoui, who are expected to represent Ivory Coast and Morocco respectively, with Amorim keen to minimise the impact of losing key players.
Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco are all among the favourites for the tournament, increasing the likelihood that United could be without their stars for an extended period if those nations go deep into the competition.
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