Update: Andre Onana could miss 10 Man United games depending on Ruben Amorim’s £60m decision News

Manchester United face being without Andre Onana for as many as 10 games next season if head coach Ruben Amorim opts not to sign an expensive replacement this summer

Andre Onana could miss up to 10 Manchester United games next season – if Ruben Amorim decides to keep faith with the goalkeeper.

Onana’s season has again been marred by a host of blunders, including two in the first leg of the Europa League tie against Lyon. He was promptly dropped for the Premier League clash at Newcastle United, with Altay Bayindir taking his place for the 4-1 defeat.

Onana returned to the side for the second leg against Lyon, which saw United complete a stunning late comeback to book a semi-final place. Amid a long list of high-profile errors from the Cameroonian since his arrival in 2023 and no obvious replacement at the club, the goalkeeping berth is an area of concern for Amorim ahead of next season.

However, with plenty of other areas in need of attention this summer, the head coach faces a tough decision over what to do. Former United keeper Ben Foster has warned it cost as much £60million to sign a top-line replacement for Onana.

“United are in such a bad place,” said Foster on his Fozcast podcast. “They need a whole revamp of the squad. Realistically, we’re talking six, eight or even 10 players.

“Now they have to get a new goalie and where are you going to get a new goalie from? If you want a proper goalie in the Premier League to be able to challenge and to do well, you’re paying £50m or £60m.

“If you look at the top goalies in the world, you’re looking at Thibaut [Courtois], Emi Martinez and Alisson. They’re known as the top goalies in the world because they very rarely make mistakes.

“They make unbelievable saves, they’re confident and they come out and they help the team. But it’s about not making mistakes and with Onana this season, we’re into double figures.”

Even if Onana is retained as number one, he could be absent for as many as 10 games in the middle of next season. That is due to the Africa Cup of Nations occurring in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

The revamped scheduling of the competition means players will miss the entirety of the hectic Premier League festive period, plus the third round of the FA Cup and other league matches if their nation emerge from their group. The semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, which take place in January, could also be affected if Amorim’s side get there.

United played eight games between December 19 and January 19 this season and didn’t make the last four of the League Cup. Cameroon begin their campaign against Gabon on Christmas Eve before facing Ivory Coast on December 28 and Mozambique on New Year’s Eve.

AFCON was due to take place this summer but was pushed back to due to new Club World Cup taking place in the United States in June and July. The addition of two extra matchdays in the new Champions League league phase at the end of January further complicated the calendar, with the tournament being brought forward.

The round of 16 is scheduled to take place between January 3 and 6 with the quarter-finals following on January 9 and 10. Both semi-finals will take place on January 14 ahead of the third-place play-off on January 17. The final takes place in Rabat on January 18.

Onana hasn’t always endeared himself to his country’s fans after missing the opening match of their 2023 AFCON campaign because his private jet to Ivory Coast was delayed. Onana had planned to be available for the game barely 24 hours after playing for United against Tottenham in the Premier League.

His late arrival led to him being dropped to the bench while Togo legend Emmanuel Adebayor accused him of disrespecting his country. The former Arsenal and Spurs striker said: “He did not respect Cameroon. I was a player like him, and even being the most important player in my selection, I never acted in this way.

“The fact that this situation is happening shows that there is a problem, perhaps even within the federation. He risks losing big, because he has alienated the Cameroonian supporters, as well as many African supporters and undoubtedly certain members of the team.”