"United had anticipated all three players would be available, given the rest of the Premier League matches were played before the revised release date announced by Fifa - which it said could be negotiated with the relevant countries. Mazraoui trained with United all week thinking he would be involved. BBC Sport understands United escalated the matter to world football's governing body, who did not force Morocco to back down."
"This has led to considerable frustration at Old Trafford, with insiders saying United believe they have been unfairly treated. While they felt Cameroon and Ivory Coast were sympathetic and collaborative in their discussions, the club feel Morocco prioritised a national team training session over an important league game. Italian side Roma and La Liga outfit Real Betis experienced similar frustration in their dealings with Morocco."
Manchester United was denied permission by the Moroccan Football Association to field Noussair Mazraoui in the 4-4 draw with Bournemouth six days before Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations opener. FIFA revised the player-release window to start on 15 December, allowing negotiations between clubs and federations, and permitted Cameroon's Bryan Mbeumo and Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo to remain for the match. Mazraoui trained with United all week expecting selection. United escalated the dispute to FIFA, which did not compel Morocco to relent. Club insiders expressed frustration, saying Morocco prioritized a national training session over the league fixture; Roma and Real Betis reported similar issues.
Read at www.bbc.com
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