Manchester United Not Worried About Losing Goalkeeper Andre Onana to Africa Cup of Nations
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has expressed no concerns about potentially losing goalkeeper Andre Onana to the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February.
Although it has not been officially confirmed, it is highly likely that Onana will be called up to Cameroon’s squad for the tournament. If this happens, he could miss up to six games, including important matches against Tottenham and Aston Villa.
Onana, who joined Manchester United from Inter Milan last summer for £47 million, has been the team’s starting goalkeeper for every minute of the season so far. However, he has made several mistakes, particularly in the Champions League, which contributed to the team’s early exit from the competition.
While there are concerns about the capabilities of Onana’s backup goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, who has yet to make his debut since joining the club from Fenerbahce, Ten Hag remains confident. He stated in a press conference that if Onana is unavailable, they have two good goalkeepers in Bayindir and veteran Tom Heaton to replace him.
It is not certain whether Onana will participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, as he previously quit international duty after a dispute with Cameroon boss Rigobert Song during the 2022 World Cup. However, he returned to the national team earlier this year. There are rumors that he may choose not to participate in the tournament to avoid losing his place in Manchester United’s starting lineup.
Ten Hag mentioned that discussions are ongoing between Manchester United and Onana ahead of Cameroon’s squad announcement. The deadline for submitting squads for the tournament is January 3rd, and FIFA rules require called-up players to report for duty.
Other Manchester United players who could potentially participate in the Africa Cup of Nations include Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), and Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).
Ten Hag concluded by saying, “If they call him up, you know the regulations.”
