Erik ten Hag set for showdown talks with Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana
Andre Onana is set for showdown talks with Erik ten Hag over his decision to return to international duty with Cameroon.
Manchester United number one Onana came out of international retirement to help Cameroon qualify for January's Africa Cup of Nations, with a 3-0 victory over Burundi on Tuesday. When Onana joined United for £47million from Inter Milan in the summer, he had ostensibly retired from international football and told Ten Hag he had no intention of returning.
Onana was sent home from the World Cup in Qatar last December, after a disagreement with Cameroon coach Rigobert Song over tactics and his style of goalkeeping. But after talks with Song and pressure from the Cameroon Government and Football Federation, Onana agreed to return to play for the Indomitable Lions in their make-or-break qualifier.
With Cameroon now through to the Africa Cup of Nations next January, Ten Hag will want to know if Onana plans to represent his country at the month-long tournament in Ivory Coast. If Onana does intend to represent Cameroon at the tournament, the 27-year-old could miss up to nine games for United, leaving deadline day signing Altay Bayindir to take his place.
Onana could miss four Premier League games, two FA Cup matches, two League Cup fixtures and a Champions League knockout game if he decides to continue playing for Cameroon. With Bayindir inexperienced and yet to make his United debut, Ten Hag will hope Onana's decision to return for Cameroon was a one-off and he does not play in the Africa Cup of Nations.
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How big a miss might Onana be? Have your say in the comments section
Andre Onana stepped away from Cameroon duty after the World Cup (AFP via Getty Images)Before the international break, Ten Hag was asked about Onana's decision to return for Cameroon and said: “I know everything about it, of course we spoke about it. We are in good contact with Andre. We are on the same page. We know how we constructed the squad and can deal with it, if we need to." Onana had earlier announced his return to the international fold with a lengthy message on social media.
"In the world of football, as in life, decisive moments arise that require crucial choices to be made," he said in a lengthy statement on social media," he wrote. "In recent months, I have been confronted with trials marked by injustice and manipulation," the keeper's statement continued. "Yet my unshakeable love and attachment to my homeland, Cameroon, remain intact. My desire to represent my country has never wavered since my youth, and this aspiration remains an inseparable part of my identity.
"Nothing and no one can shake this conviction. I answer my nation's call with unshakeable certainty, aware that my return is not only to honour my dream, but also to respond to the expectations and support of Cameroonians, who deserve a national team determined to shine."
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