Manchester United will need to adapt to life without Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo during the Africa Cup of Nations which kicks off later this year.
The Red Devils have turned a corner in recent weeks under Ruben Amorim, whose side boasts one of the best attacking outputs in the Premier League this term.
One reason for the upturn in Man United's recent attacking displays comes down to the £65 million acquisition of ex-Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo this past summer.
Manchester United youngster tipped for Premier League breakthrough
The Cameroonian has scored four times in 10 Premier League outings for the Old Trafford club so far, building on his 20-goal campaign for the Bees last season.
However, Man United will lose Mbeumo for up to six weeks when the biennial Africa Cup of Nations tournament takes place between December 2025 and January 2026.
The tournament, which is being hosted in Morocco next month, pits Mbeumo's Cameroon against Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mozambique in the group stage and the Indomitable Lions are expected to progress to the knockout rounds.
Should Mbeumo and Cameroon make it to the final on January 18, he stands to miss up to seven Man United fixtures.
AFCON represents a major opportunity for one Old Trafford youngster to leave his mark on Ruben Amorim and the first-team picture.
Shea Lacey, 18, is a right-sided winger who has excelled for the club's Under-21s in recent months.
Considering Man United's right side will be significantly depleted by the upcoming tournament with Amad (Ivory Coast) and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) also expected to be named in their respective countries' squads, Lacey could be given the nod to join the seniors.
According to the Daily Mail, Lacey's aim is to disrupt the established order on the right-hand side and put himself in contention for occasional minutes throughout the rest of the season.
The teenager scored in a 2-1 win for the U21s versus Notts County in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, there is no better chance for Lacey to make his mark on first-team affairs than the absences AFCON will create.
If he can show what he is capable of, and is up to the physical level, there is no reason Lacey won't come to be considered a fringe option under Amorim moving forward.
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