Eric Bailly will be missing for some big Manchester United games after Christmas

It did not take too long at all for Eric Bailly to endear himself to his new supporters.

Manchester United's newest defender quickly earned comparisons to Old Trafford legend Nemanja Vidic for his colossal performances at the back. And while that may be a case of jumping the gun, Bailly has certainly taken to the Premier League like a robust, fearless duck to water. He's cemented his place in Jose Mourinho's back four alongside Daley Blind and he's expected to remain a first team regular throughout the season. But Mourinho would have known that he was always likely to be without the 22-year-old defender for a spell during the winter as the Ivory Coast were expected to qualify for the African Cup of Nations. And, on Saturday, they did just that. Bailly featured for his national side during their 1-1 draw with Sierra Leone this weekend, a result which was enough to send them through to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations as they look to defend their title. The tournament runs from January 14, 2017 until February 5, 2017 but Bailly is expected to join his national teammates a number of days before the competition kicks off. That means he will be away from his club for two games at the very least, including one of the biggest matches of the year. He will be away when United host Liverpool on January 14, as well as missing the trip to Stoke the following week. Depending on how United fare in the EFL Cup, Bailly could also be out of contention for the semi-finals of that competition, while he would miss Hull at home (January 31) and Leicester away (February 4) if the reigning AFCON champions have another deep run in the tournament. Mourinho will have done his homework and have been well aware that the centre-half he signed from Villarreal could be out of action for a month. But it definitely sent alarm bells ringing around a few United supporters who have grown rather fond of their new man. https://twitter.com/DrunkVoltron/status/772213961064407040 https://twitter.com/ffsRooney/status/772344449775046656 https://twitter.com/RashfordLogic/status/772377388990734337 https://twitter.com/WayneNReigns/status/772179358198931456 https://twitter.com/IceMan_Cobie/status/772171216941617152 https://twitter.com/danielsah_/status/772418136415080448 https://twitter.com/_AlexTurk/status/772398731186544640 https://twitter.com/ScotiePlays/status/772168032785399808 https://twitter.com/50SavesOfDeGea/status/772368229247414272 https://twitter.com/DanIsARed/status/772182902255841284 https://twitter.com/schnderlin/status/772181314288099328 https://twitter.com/GeorgeMUFC_/status/772179910731370496 https://twitter.com/DanIsARed/status/772182902255841284 Read more