After rejoining the team for practice on Wednesday, goalie Andre Onana is probably going to be included in Cameroon’s starting lineup for their Africa Cup of Nations group match against holders Senegal on Friday.

After being permitted to remain at Manchester United and participate in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Onana was unable to travel with Cameroon for their tournament opener in the Ivory Coast on Monday.

After the match at Old Trafford, he took a charter plane overnight flight to the Ivory Coast, arriving just hours before the start of the Group C match against Guinea, when Cameroon overcame an early deficit to force a 1-1 draw.

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The 27-year-old’s decision to skip the tournament’s opening game incited resentment among Cameroon supporters.

Following his arrival in the Ivory Coast, Onana spoke with media about the challenging balance between allegiance to one’s country and club, particularly for African internationals who must leave their European clubs in the middle of the season in order to play in the Cup of Nations.

“It’s like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first, that’s why I’m here,” he said

“Let people continue to criticise me. I’m used to it.

“I do what is good for my country,” Onana added.

Onana has a chequered history with Cameroon after breaking through into the team while still a teenager at Ajax Amsterdam.

In the wake of an argument with coach Rigobert Song that has since been resolved, he declined a call-up to the 2017 Cup of Nations finals, which Cameroon went on to win, and was sent home after just one game in the most recent World Cup in Qatar.

However, he did participate in the most recent Cup of Nations two years ago, just a few months after his long-term drug ban.