• Share With email

A lot has happened since Bryan Mbeumo last pulled on a Manchester United shirt.

The winger left the pitch during the dying moments of the thrilling 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in mid-December, and joined up with Cameroon days later, for their Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The Reds – without Mbeumo and fellow AFCON representatives Amad and Noussair Mazraoui – were unlucky to lose at high-flying Aston Villa the following weekend, on the night the action began in Morocco.

Bryan will have no doubt been an active observer on Boxing Day, when Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu’s volley and an excellent rearguard performance secured an important victory over Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

But United haven’t prevailed in any of the subsequent four matches, recording successive league draws with Wolves, Leeds United and Burnley, before exiting the Emirates FA Cup at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ruben Amorim has departed in the meantime, and we’ve missed the pace and strength of Mbeumo, who has characterised some of this season’s standout moments.

Our no.19 impressed on debut against Arsenal, a game United probably should have got...