Andre Onana gives United major boost for Tottenham derby

The January 14 Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham will feature goalkeeper Andre Onana. The goalkeeper is officially available for the match. The Cameroon national team faces Guinea in the first match of the Africa Cup of Nations the following day.

According to The Athletic, all three sides involved came to an understanding before making the final decision. This clears the way for Onana to start Monday’s FA Cup third-round match against Wigan Athletic for United. Six days later, he’ll be back in action when Spurs visit Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will have their sights set on both a league win and a cup Fourth Round berth. Being able to be certain that their starting goalkeeper will be ready for both matches is a huge advantage.

Premier League losing stars to AFCON

Following that, Onana will go for Ivory Coast right away to compete in the African Cup of Nations. He will be wearing the national team’s jersey on January 15 when Cameroon plays Guinea in their first encounter. This is exactly one day before Onana is supposed to play against Spurs.

The Ivory Coast will play host to the tournament, and on Saturday, January 13. The tournament will include top African countries competing for the title; in 2022, Senegal prevailed against Egypt in the final.

At the biannual tournament, superstars such as Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and Mohamed Salah will compete. As players depart for national teams, it is unclear what effect this will have on the English Premier League, which extends during this time.

When United signed Onana from Inter last summer, they thought he had retired from international duty and would not be attending AFCON. The 27-year-old left the World Cup training camp in Qatar one year ago. Since then, he has never played for his country again.

All eyes were on him when he had a public falling out with Song and Eto’o in November of last year, leading to the shot-stopper’s controversial withdrawal from the World Cup. The altercation began after the boss requested the goalkeeper to play it safe while releasing the ball from the back.

With more touches beyond his area than any goalie in World Cup history, Onana became famous for his skill with the ball at his feet. Following an angry argument in which he strongly disagreed with Song, he was benched for the second Group Stage match.

Will Onana’s main fear come true?

On the other hand, Onana made it in Rigobert Song’s team for the Africa Cup of Nations. After the goalkeeper chose to rejoin the Cameroon squad, the club honored his decision. This is how they have been rewarded—they get to retain him for a longer period than anybody anticipated.

With Onana out of the picture for January, United backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will be pushing for a start. Following a tough start to his English career, the Cameroonian is afraid of losing his starting position to the Turk. Ten Hag also has the option of selecting Tom Heaton to play in goal.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.