'I just can't wait' – Mbeumo relishing Man Utd's Champions League return

Bryan Mbeumo expressed his excitement about Manchester United's Champions League campaign next season after securing a return to UEFA's flagship competition. 

The Red Devils confirmed their place in the top five of the Premier League by beating arch-rivals Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford on May 3, thanks to Kobbie Mainoo's winner. 

Since arriving from Brentford in a reported £71m deal last summer, Mbeumo has been key to United's success, with only Benjamin Sesko (12) scoring more goals across all competitions for the Red Devils than the Cameroon international's 10. 

Michael Carrick's impact on the squad since replacing Ruben Amorim has also been pivotal, with reports suggesting that the former United midfielder will be recommended to Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take the position on a permanent basis by the club's senior executives.

For Mbeumo, meanwhile, he is relishing the chance to play in the Champions League for the first time, and he felt a sense of where he has come from in his career. 

"I just can’t wait," Mbeumo told United's official podcast. "I know it means a lot for the club and for the fans, so I know it's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere.

"I'm feeling really proud of myself, obviously, because it's never been easy for me. [I have] always had to work hard, but I never forgot about what I was wanting.

"I always believed in myself because I knew I had special abilities as well. I always try to work hard, and I'm really happy about what is coming for me.

"I always told myself I wanted to be the best player in the world, so playing these kinds of competitions was really high in my head.

"Even, as you said, [when] I started in lower leagues and lower teams, I always had this target in my mind."

United will be hoping to continue their upward trajectory against a Nottingham Forest side who retained their Premier League status in their last outing against Newcastle United.

Elliot Anderson's 88th-minute leveller against his former club cancelled out Harvey Barnes's finish, leaving Vitor Pereira's side seven points clear of West Ham down in 18th. 

The draw came after a run of three games in six days across all competitions, with Forest starting with a fine win over Chelsea before losing the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa 4-0, which sealed a 4-1 aggregate triumph for Unai Emery's men. 

But with safety now secured, Pereira lauded his team's mentality over the past few weeks, and urged his players to enjoy their final two league fixtures of the season. 

"It was a very tough week for us. We started with a win against Chelsea, and then we didn't really have time to prepare for a semi-final away from home, and it was a very difficult game," Pereira said. 

"But we are mentally strong, and we came back to face a strong team, although we didn't have full energy because we had some difficult days after the Europa League.

“The character and the belief of these players is fantastic, the supporters helped us a lot and in the end we deserved the point.

"After we equalised, we gave everything to try and get the win. Before the game, I said to the players to keep our future in our hands. In the end, if you look at the circumstances of the week, I think it was a good point and what we deserved."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes has created 124 chances in the Premier League this season, the fourth most on record (since 2003-04) in a single campaign after Mesut Ozil in 2015-16 (146), Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20 (136) and Frank Lampard in 2008-09 (134).

The United captain is also just one assist away from matching the competition's record, which is jointly held by Thierry Henry and De Bruyne (both 20). 

Nottingham Forest – Elliot Anderson

It remains to be seen whether Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White will be available for Pereira following the serious facial injury he sustained against Chelsea, and it will be a big blow given he has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League games against United (three goals, two assists). 

But they have a more than capable replacement in Anderson, who netted his fourth league goal of the season against Newcastle last time out. He also finished with team-high totals for accurate passes (62), passes in the final third (23) and possession won (10).