Andre Onana will play for Manchester United against Tottenham a week on Sunday before flying to Ivory Coast to be available for Cameroon’s first game in the Africa Cup of Nations the next day.

Mail Sport revealed on Wednesday that United were hopeful of persuading Cameroon to let Onana stay for the Spurs game at Old Trafford on January 14 even though the club were obliged under FIFA rules to release him two weeks earlier.

The two sides have reached an agreement for Onana to play in goal against Spurs before leaving for Afcon straight after the game. It remains to be seen if he starts Cameroon’s opening Group C match against Guinea as well.

It’s understood that Cameroon were sympathetic to United’s request because Onana had retired from international football when he moved to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in July before reversing his decision in September.

Onana returned to training with the United squad at Carrington on Wednesday following a day off, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe paid his first visit to the club’s headquarters since his £1.3billion investment was announced on Christmas Eve.

Andre Onana will leave for AFCON after playing Tottenham for Man United on January 14

Erik ten Hag is keen not to lose his first-choice ‘keeper for an extended period of action

It’s understood that Ratcliffe and his Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford spoke with manager Erik ten Hag, players and staff at the training ground.

United’s new investor also had a second day of meetings at Old Trafford, spending two more hours at the stadium with Brailsford and club officials.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag received a huge boost on Wednesday when Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez were able to join in full training for the first time in months.

Onana returned to international duty in September after falling out with head coach Rigobert Song during Cameroon’s World Cup campaign

The two South Americans were pivotal in Ten Hag’s first season at United, but Martinez has been absent since September after suffering a setback in his recovery from a broken foot which required a second operation.

Casemiro has not played since the first day of November when he went off at half-time of the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle with a serious hamstring injury that has kept him out for the last two months.