Andre Onana 'concerned he could lose Man United place during AFCON'

The Cameroon international immediately cemented himself as Erik ten Hag's first-choice stopper after arriving from Inter Milan, with whom he was a crucial part of their run to the final of the Champions League.

After scoping out several targets to succeed David de Gea, who left the club upon the expiration of his contract last season, Man United forked out £43.3m to bring Onana to the Premier League on a five-year deal with an option until 2029.

From his first 20 appearances in a Red Devils jersey, Onana has registered seven clean sheets, but the 27-year-old's earliest weeks at the Theatre of Dreams have been marred by a series of error-strewn displays.

Onana has already shipped 33 goals this season, including a whopping 14 in five Champions League matches, and he was criticised for all three of Galatasaray's goals in Wednesday's 3-3 draw with the Turkish giants.

The former Ajax man should have done better with a pair of Hakim Ziyech free kicks, the second of which deflected into the net off his body, before a vicious Kerem Akturkoglu strike flew past him at his near post.

Despite his series of mistakes, Onana has featured from the first whistle in every single one of Man United's games over fellow summer signing Altay Bayindir, whom Ten Hag is yet to hand a debut to.

Onana originally retired from Cameroon duty during the 2022 World Cup owing to a falling out with head coach Rigobert Song, but the 27-year-old has since returned to the national team setup and is expected to be called up for next year's AFCON.

The tournament runs from January 13 to February 11, meaning that Onana could miss nearly a month of domestic action if Cameroon progress to the final, and the Indomitable Lions' final group game is on January 23.

Bayindir will therefore enjoy at least a fortnight in between the sticks, but according to the Manchester Evening News, Onana is concerned that the Turkish goalkeeper could supplant him as the Red Devils' first-choice goalkeeper during the competition.

Should Onana indeed travel to his home continent to represent Cameroon, the shot-stopper is at risk of missing crucial Premier League fixtures with Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United while the tournament is ongoing.

The first round of the FA Cup also takes place on January 6, which Onana may also be unavailable for as Song's squad get together for their pre-tournament preparations, and if Man United can defy the odds and reach the Champions League last 16, the first leg of those ties will be played on February 13/14.

Should the Red Devils transfer to the Europa League knockout round playoffs, Ten Hag's men would play the first leg of that encounter on February 15, although they have no EFL Cup commitments to concern themselves with after their defence was ended by Newcastle United in round four.

As well as Onana, Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco) and Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia) are set to earn call-ups, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has reportedly been invited to represent the Democratic Republic of Congo at senior international level.

Man United sit sixth in the Premier League table and are back in top-flight action against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.