The suspension of Andre Onana by Cameroon during the World Cup, according to Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi, was the result of a “misunderstanding”.
The 26-year-old Nerazzurri goalkeeper left Qatar prior to his nation’s final match against Brazil after being benched for his nation’s second group match against Serbia.
Following his shocking downgrade, which the Cameroon team officials attributed to unspecified “disciplinary reasons,” Onana released a statement.
Onana reportedly had a disagreement with manager Rigobert Song about his playing style in the 1-0 defeat against Switzerland, when he had the most touches outside of the penalty area ever seen by a goalkeeper in a World Cup game.
Onana hasn’t been impacted by the situation, according to Inzaghi, who has spoken to him since his departure.
“I’ve spoken to all the guys involved in the World Cup,” he said. “We have four who made it to the quarter-finals.
“Romelu Lukaku and Onana are out; they will arrive between Friday and Saturday and join the group. Physically they are all fine, we are expecting them.
“There was a misunderstanding that he [Onana] paid for, but I spoke to him and he is calm.
“I can talk about what happened at Inter. He’s a positive guy; when he had to be on the bench he stayed there, when he had to play he played.
“On Friday he’ll be in Appiano and will start working with us.”
Inzaghi also spoke about Lukaku, who had a difficult time as Belgium finished last in their group after a 0-0 draw with Croatia.
Roberto Martinez, the manager of the Red Devils, substituted the Inter striker at halftime, but he managed to waste a number of excellent opportunities to give his team the victory.
“Clearly he was disappointed,” Inzaghi added. “It’s a World Cup and he cares so much about his national team.
“He played 45 minutes and he had three chances. If you are getting the chances, a striker has to stay calm.”
Inter plays friendlies against Salzburg, Real Betis, Reggina, and Sassuolo before returning to Serie A action on January 4 against Napoli.