Why André Onana may miss Leicester City vs Manchester United as two Academy stars face unexpected debut

The reason why André Onana may miss Manchester United’s upcoming Premier League fixture has been revealed amid a possible debut for an Academy star on Sunday evening.

Manchester United return to Premier League action with a trip to Leicester City, as Rúben Amorim looks to maintain momentum after a dominant midweek display.

United impressed on Thursday night, securing a 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad to seal their place in the Europa League quarter-finals, where they will face Olympique Lyonnais next month.

For now, attention turns back to the league, with United aiming to climb from 14th in the table and build consistency in their domestic campaign.

This fixture also sees United come up against club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took charge as interim manager for four games before Amorim’s arrival in November. It will be the second time the two meet on the touchline this season.

United have already beaten Leicester three times this campaign, with wins in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Premier League—all at Old Trafford. However, this time they face the challenge of securing victory at the King Power Stadium.

Why Onana might miss Leicester vs United

News on Sunday morning broke stating that Amorim may be without goalkeeper André Onana against Leicester, with the Cameroon international facing a late fitness test.

Onana has played the majority of games since he signed for United in the summer of 2023, including every single United Premier League fixture since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Manchester Evening News have now confirmed that Onana’s possible absence is due to an illness after he felt unwell on Sunday morning.

Onana still intends to travel to Leicester and make himself available, but there is a strong possibility he may not start.

Who replaces Onana in goal?

Further, the report states that United have made unexpected plans for either academy goalkeepers Dermot Mee or Elyh Harrison to start should Onana not be able to play.

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Both United’s second and third-choice goalkeepers, Altay Bayındır and Tom Heaton, are out with injury, and there is no timeline set for their respective returns.

22-year-old Mee played four times for National League side Altrincham two seasons ago, but has not played a minute of senior football since.

Harrison, 19, was on loan at National League side Chester FC earlier this campaign and made 18 appearances for the club before he was recalled from his loan in January.

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