Erik ten Hag says he is not worried about the loss of Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana during the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February.
Although not yet confirmed, it is highly likely that Onana will be included in the Cameroon squad for the tournament.
That means he could miss up to six games if his country reaches the final on February 11, including big clashes against Tottenham and Aston Villa.
The goalkeeper has played every minute of United’s season so far, but his £47million move from Inter Milan last summer did not go to plan.
The 27-year-old made numerous mistakes, especially in the Champions League, which contributed to the Red Devils’ embarrassing exclusion from Europe.
However, there are doubts over the abilities of his number two Altay Bayindir, who is yet to make his debut since moving to Old Trafford from Fenerbahce last summer.
Veteran Tom Heaton is also available, but although he has played for Burnley in the past and has plenty of experience, the 37-year-old’s best days are certainly behind him.
But Ten Hag has no such fear and discussed the issue during his press conference ahead of United’s match against West Ham on Saturday.
‘Like him [Onana] goes there [AFCON]“We have a strong group of goalkeepers with Bayindir and Tom Heaton, so we feel comfortable,” said the manager.
“We obviously hope that André is available as much as possible, but if that is not the case, we have two good goalkeepers who can replace him.”
As previously mentioned, it is not certain that Onana will move to the AFCON as he previously left international duty following a dispute with Cameroon coach Rigobert Song at the 2022 World Cup.
He returned to the starting XI at the start of this year, but there are rumors that he does not want to participate in the tournament for fear he could lose his place in United’s starting XI.
The deadline for submitting selections for the tournament in Ivory Coast is January 3. According to FIFA rules, players called up must report.
Ten Hag went on to say that United and Onana were still in discussions before announcing Cameroon’s squad, adding: “If they call him up, you know the rules.”
Other United players who could also move to the AFCON include Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast) and Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).
Author: Callum McAvoy
Source: Metro
Source: Metro
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a keen interest in sports and have written for many different publications. I am currently working as an author at 24 News Recorder. I cover mostly sports news but also write about other topics such as current affairs and politics. I have a strong interest in social media and how it can be used to engage with audiences.