Andre Onana may be available for Manchester United’s Premier League contest against Tottenham Hotspur on January 14 despite receiving a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations, as per the Daily Mail.
The tournament kicks off on January 13 in the Ivory Coast and Cameroon’s first group-stage fixture against Guinea is penned in for January 15, meaning the goalkeeper will have just a 24-hour break between both games and a seven-hour flight from England to the host nation.
Erik ten Hag is expecting to have Onana in his squad for his side’s third-round FA Cup tie away to Wigan Athletic on January 8, even with Premier League clubs being told to release their AFCON participants on New Year’s Day.
Onana keen to make himself available for United
It remains to be seen when Altay Bayindir will be granted his United debut as, realistically, the cup tie seems like the prime opportunity. Wigan sit 17th-placed in League One and Ten Hag will likely field a weakened starting 11, so why not play your second-choice ‘keeper?
Should Cameroon exit AFCON at the earliest stage and United progress in the FA Cup, Onana could be back in the fold for the fourth round of the competition, having not missed any club action at all.
Since signing on a £47.2 million deal from Inter Milan last summer, the 27-year-old has played all 28 games and conceded 25 goals.
