MANCHESTER UNITED have been handed a huge blow as goalkeeper Andre Onana is set to miss their pre-season tour with a hamstring injury.
Onana, 29, picked up the issue on his return to training this week as United’s players began their preparations at Carrington.
Early assessments of the injury show that Onana could miss up to eight weeks of action – completely ruling him out of United’s upcoming tour of the US.
The injury would also mean Onana faces an uphill battle to get fit for the Red Devils’ opening game of the season, a heavyweight clash against Arsenal on August 17.
It gives United boss Ruben Amorim a transfer headache, with the club considering bringing in a new shot-stopper this summer.
Onana’s future has been a topic of conversation for a while after a string of high-profile mistakes have put his position between the sticks under the microscope since his £47m move from Inter Milan.
Reports this week claimed that United would accept a fee of around £30m to sell the Cameroon international in a cut-price deal.
Onana was dropped by Amorim following two blunders in the Europa League against Lyon, but returned to his role as No1 soon afterwards.
United have been linked with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who appeared to wave a teary goodbye to Villa Park at the end of the season.
However, it’s claimed that the Old Trafford outfit aren’t focusing on that deal at the moment with the two clubs some way apart in their valuation of the Argentine goalkeeper.
Selling Onana could be much harder now that he is carrying an injury.
Man Utd are already working with a tight budget for transfer business this summer and could choose to bring in competition or back-up for Onana at a lower price rather than a new No1.
As well as Martinez, other names linked with the goalkeeper position at United this summer include Botafogo’s John and Senne Lammens of Antwerp.
Boss Amorim is thought to be keen to have his squad for next season in place ahead of their pre-season tour of the US, hoping to bed in new signings and get things ticking before the season proper begins.
However, the absence of Onana will make it hard for him to work his back-line without their first choice goalkeeper behind them.
United will play their first pre-season friendly next Saturday when they face old foes Leeds in Stockholm.
They will then embark on a trip across the Atlantic to play against West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton in the US.
Read the full article here