'We are talking' - Erik ten Hag gives update on potential Alejandro Garnacho ban

Erik ten Hag has said Manchester United and the FA are in discussions following Alejandro Garnacho's tweet about Andre Onana earlier this week.

The winger posted an image on X, formerly Twitter, of Onana celebrating his injury-time penalty save on Wednesday against Copenhagen, accompanied by two gorilla emojis.

The post was swiftly deleted and United's goalkeeper wrote on social media to clarify that he was not offended Garnacho's actions. "People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what [Garnacho] meant: power and strength," Onana wrote on Instagram. "This matter should go no further."

However, Onana and Garnacho may find that the matter does indeed go further, with Garnacho potentially set to be punished by the FA for what could be considered a racial implication in his social media post. Speaking ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, Ten Hag was asked whether he was concerned that the Argentinian international could be banned.

"Not in this moment," he replied. "We are talking with FA to see what can confirm that, I want to emphasise that we are together and united and you have seen the post of Andre Onana."

There is a precedent in cases such as this, with Bernardo Silva and Edison Cavani receiving bans and fines for similar actions in recent years.

In a tweet in 2019, Silva compared then team-mate Benjamin Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos - a chocolate brand available in Spain and Portugal. Although an FA commission determined the Manchester City midfielder had not intended his message to be racist, he was still handed a one-game suspension.

Cavani was given a three-match ban in 2021 for saying a word in Spanish that could carry racial connotations. Again, the FA stated at the time that Cavani's actions were not deemed to be intentionally racist.

Regardless of the eventual outcome from the FA, Garnacho will be available for United's clash against City on Sunday at Old Trafford.