- Onana to participate in AFCON
- Could potentially miss seven club matches
- United to depend on Altay Bayindir in his absence
WHAT HAPPENED? The former Inter goalkeeper had previously quit international football after a disagreement with Cameroon's head coach Rigobert Song that led to his removal from the 2022 World Cup squad in the middle of the tournament in Qatar. However, the duo has mended their differences and Onana was reinstated to the national team. Following his return he appeared in the AFCON qualifier against Burundi in September and also in a friendly against Senegal during the October international break.
According to iNews, Onana has given his consent to turn up for The Indomitable Lions in the continental tournament which is set to start on January 13 in the Ivory Coast.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: If Cameroon excel in the tournament and reach the final, United will have to make do without Onana's services in four Premier League matches, two FA Cup ties and a potential Carabao Cup semi-final. Onana has been gradually finding his feet at his new club and emerged as the hero in United's slender Champions League win over FC Copenhagen last week, after he kept out an injury-time penalty to seal the three points. He was one of the better performers in the 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City last weekend, too, and his efforts were further acknowledged when he came 23rd in the 2023 Ballon d'Or vote after a brilliant previous season with the Nerrazurri.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? If Onana does indeed answer Song's international call, then United will have to depend upon Altay Bayindir, the Turkish goalkeeper signed from Fenerbahce during the summer. However, in the short term, Onana will continue to stand between the sticks when United host Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, before facing Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
