Eric Bailly has been a brilliant addition to Manchester United - but there's a problem on the horizon

BAILLY

Ivory Coast international Bailly joined during the summer form Spanish side Villarreal.

The talk about new signings at Old Trafford this season has tended to concern two players – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.

Enigmatic Swede Ibrahimovic cost nothing but arrived with a huge reputation and a goalscoring record to justify the hype.

Pogba cost a tad more – some £105million to be precise and the pair are the post-match debate for many pundits.

Under the radar somewhat has been Eric Bailly. There were eyebrows raised when United paid Villarreal £30million for a virtually unknown 22-year-old central defender.

And yet he has been arguably one of Jose Mourinho's most inspired signings. United's central defence has frequently looked fragile in recent seasons. Not since the arrival of Bailly they haven't.

He passed his first test with flying colours – an away game on the first weekend of the Premier League season against Bournemouth on their tight pitch and their swift, passing football.

Bailly was outstanding. And he has not looked back since. Finesse is not his strong point. Defending – proper, head-in, foot-in defending – is his forte.

And with him at the heart of the back-line, United look more solid and more stable.

But there is one blot on the horizon for Mourinho. Bailly comes from the Ivory Coast and is now a key member of their national squad. The Ivorians are one of the established powers in the continent's football – and predictably they have qualified for the finals of the prestigious African Cup of Nations.

They will be staged on Gabon starting on January 14 and that immediately rules Bailly out of the league clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford. The finals go through to February 5 and if the Ivory Coast progress, Bailly will miss the matches against Stoke, Hull and Leicester.

A huge loss for United because of the power and strength that Bailly has brought to the team.

Other clubs will also lose important men – Riyad Mahrez of Leicester will be with Algeria while Sadio Mane will report with Senegal.

But the loss of Bailly will leave a huge gap at United and his absence will test Mourinho's organisational skills to the limit.