Why Andre Onana ‘could be banned from playing for Man Utd’ if he snubs AFCON | OneFootball

Highlights

Following his move to Manchester United in the summer, Andre Onana has been ever-present in the Red Devils' lineup. He is clearly the number-one option in between the sticks at Old Trafford, despite a couple of high-profile mistakes. Replacing David de Gea was never going to be an easy task, but following impressive showings with Ajax and Inter Milan, the 27-year-old was deemed the man for the job.

The move hasn't been a resounding success so far, but he's still performed admirably enough in the Premier League, keeping more clean sheets than anyone else so far. From what he's seen, Erik ten Hag will be happy with his choice, but the club could be set to face a lengthy period without him.

After retiring from international duty with Cameroon last year, Onana recently made the decision to go back on his decision and was selected for the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament. Whether he goes with his country or not, though, it seems he won't be available for the Red Devils due to a very little-known rule.

What the FIFA rule says

After deciding to come out of international retirement, Onana made himself available for selection, but might actually decide to sit out of the African Cup of Nations in a bid to focus on his work at United and hopefully eradicate some of the errors that have plagued his tenure in England so far.

A little-known rule highlighted by The Sun, though, might see the keeper punished for choosing to miss the tournament. The official rule from FIFA reads: "A player who has been called up by his association for one of its representative teams is, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant association, not entitled to play for the club with which he is registered during the period for which he has been released or should have been released pursuant to the provisions of this annex, plus an additional period of five days."

So, regardless of whether Onana chooses to leave Old Trafford for the African Cup of Nations or if he remains in England, the Red Devils might still be forced to play without him for a lengthy period of time.

Onana could miss six games for United

If the keeper does wind up being suspended for refusing to take part in the African Cup of Nations, he could miss up to six games with the Red Devils. He would be unavailable throughout the entire run of the international competition, meaning he'd miss four Premier League games. He'd be out for meetings against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and Aston Villa.

He'd also miss out on the FA Cup third round for United as they get ready to start their campaign in the competition. Finally, depending on how the rest of their Champions League campaign shapes out, if the club qualify for the knockout stages or the Europa League, he may also miss the first game of the club's European campaign.