Cameroon national team have named Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana in their squad for the African Cup of Nations. With Erik ten Hag starting to feel the heat in the Old Trafford dugout, the absence of his No. 1 for up to four matches in the new year will be unwelcome news for the ex-Ajax boss.
Onana has made a shaky start to life in the Premier League since joining the Red Devils from Inter Milan over the summer in a deal worth £47million. The 27-year-old has conceded 21 goals in 19 appearances so far this season, with several mistakes proving costly – especially in the Champions League.
However, despite not performing at his best, Cameroon have decided to keep the faith in Onana and named him in their AFCON squad. The competition will take place from January 13 to February 11, meaning that the United goalkeeper could miss up to four league matches.
If Cameroon enjoy a successful tournament, as many expect them to, then the Red Devils could be without Onana for important matches against Tottenham, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa. The former Ajax star could return to England in time to face Luton Town on February 18, if his nation manage to progress through to the very late stages of the competition.
Onana’s absence will be a significant blow to Ten Hag given that the Dutch manager has continually praised his summer signing and insisted that he will come good in the Premier League.
However, it does present an opportunity for Altay Bayindir to prove his worth and potentially stake his claim as to why he should have been given an opportunity prior to Onana’s call-up. The 25-year-old was signed from Fenerbahce for £4.3m in the latter stages of the summer transfer window but is yet to make an appearance for United.
