Football

Man United keeper Onana available for Wigan Cup game

January 5, 2024 11:50 am

[Source: Reuters]

Manchester United will have goalkeeper Andre Onana available for their FA Cup third-round match against Wigan Athletic, manager Erik ten Hag said, following talks to delay his departure to the Africa Cup of Nations.

United play third-tier Wigan on Monday and Cameroon have a friendly scheduled for Tuesday against Zambia before they kick off the tournament against Guinea on Jan. 15.

“We’re talking with the Cameroon federation, it was an issue during the talks with Andre when he came in here (in July from Inter Milan),” Ten Hag told reporters. “It’s constructive.”

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United, languishing eighth in the Premier League nine points adrift of the top four, host fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Jan. 14.

“I don’t know yet (if Onana will be available for Spurs) but he will be here for the game against Wigan,” Ten Hag said.

United had a roller-coaster festive period, beating Aston Villa 3-2 with a stunning comeback before a meek 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest that kept the pressure on Ten Hag following the takeover of United by Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group.

Ten Hag met Ratcliffe for the first time.

“We had a long meeting, so many hours we sit together, on many issues we were on the same page, very positive from both sides,” the manager said.

“I can say that it was a very constructive meeting and we’re looking forward to working with each other.”

Ten Hag said it was too early to expect much change to the team under the new ownership.

“We have to let it settle down, they’re just coming in, introducing themselves,” he said. “They have good ideas, we have to see what we can integrate. In togetherness we will work, but after one day you can’t tell that.