What a terrible international break this has been for several clubs, all across world football. Major injuries have occurred, in multiple countries and games, leaving numerous teams with serious fitness/injury concerns. Manchester United and their goalkeeper Andre Onana is the next one that we now need to cover.
Onana withdrew from the Cameroon squad after suffering a lower back injury in his nation’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Mauritius on Friday night.
Manchester United at Everton FC FYIs
Kick: Sun. Nov. 26, 4:30pm, Goodison Park, Liverpool UK
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: United 39% Draw 27% Everton 34%
He’ll miss out on Tuesday night’s clash with Libya, as he’s already back with the club in the United Kingdom. The shot stopper acquired from Inter Milan this summer will now undergo medical evaluation and testing, to determine if he’ll be fit to face Everton on Sunday or not.
It could just be a knock, and he’ll be fine. Or the problem could be substantial enough that he’ll miss out, and we’ll then see the United debut of another summer signing, Altay Bayindir.
According to an ESPN report however, Onana is hopeful that he’ll get to play, as the injury is thought to be something less severe/substantial than a muscle strain. If that’s the case, then perhaps the Onana withdrawal was just more a precautionary measure?
We still have about a week, and plenty of medical evaluation, to go before the game kicks off, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.