The beginning of Andre Onana’s spell at Manchester United has not been exactly pleasurable for him. His errors have led many to regret the decision to let David de Gea go, but the Cameroonian goalkeeper is finally finding his way between the sticks for Manchester United, though there might be yet another disruption.
Erik ten Hag encounters new challenge at Manchester United as GK Andre Onana expected to be absent due to AFCON, though the Manchester United manager has considered Altay Bayindir a sufficient replacement for the United goalkeeper.
How long will Manchester United miss Onana?
Andre Onana is expected to be absent for several matches as he received a call-up to participate in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Cameroon.
The AFCON is set to start on January 13, 2024 and André Onana will feature in this tournament. Onana is likely to be absent for at least four Premier League games with Manchester United, including the January encounter with Tottenham, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa.
Onana is expected to also miss some of United’s FA Cup ties, including the one against Wigan, slated for January 8th, and the fourth round of the tie, slated for the weekend of January 27–28.
Who will deputize in place of Onana?
Andre Onana has experienced a tumultuous start to his Manchester United career, but he is eventually levelling up to the challenge of the Premier League, emerging as one of the highest clean sheet keepers in the league.
Originally, he did not want to jeopardize this progress, as he was prepared to pull out of AFCON. Despite the alleged concerns that Andre Onana may face the possibility of being relegated to the bench upon his return from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), particularly if Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayındır performs well in his absence, he has opted for the option of representing Cameroon in the AFCON.
While Onana is away, Altay Bayindir is expected to step into his spot as the first-choice Manchester United goalkeeper. Bayindir has not featured between the sticks for United since his signing; however, he finally gets the opportunity he has been waiting for.
Onana’s past issues with NT coach
Andre Onana flew home from the Cameron camp during the 2022 World Cup due to disagreements with the Cameroonian manager over playing tactics. Andre Onana is one of the modern goalkeepers who loves to play out from the back, but this is not primarily the African style of play.
Song, the Cameroon manager, stated that Onana had requested not to be considered for the last two group games against Serbia and Brazil. Subsequently, he left the national team camp and announced his retirement from international football at the age of 26.
Song told reporters, “It all depended on him. He knew what he had to do. If he’s on the list, it’s because he did the right thing. He’s one of the best goalkeepers, the door was always open. There was never a problem with Andre. Today, we are satisfied that he is reunited with the group.”
Shortly after, however, Andre Onana reconsidered this decision and reversed his retirement decision as they laid aside their differences. Since then, Onana has faired very well in his career, with his outstanding performance in the 2022–23 Champions League season gaining the attention of Manchester United.
Will Andre Onana be able to find his way to redemption at the upcoming AFCON? Tell us your predictions in the comments.
