Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is reportedly giving serious consideration to dropping Andre Onana for Sunday’s Premier League contest with Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Onana made two big mistakes against Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night, as the 20-time English champions were held to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final fixture in France.
Amorim refused to criticise the Cameroonian following his latest disappointing showing, with the Man United boss insisting that he remains “really confident” in his number one goalkeeper.
“I don’t know, that can happen. The best thing is to look at the goals and all the actions that Andre has had in the game and to talk with [goalkeeper coaches Jorge] Vital and Craig [Mawson]. This is the best way to help any player – to focus on the game, what happened, what we need to improve and then put the player [in] again,” Amorim told reporters.
“No, I didn’t see him, to be honest with you. I used these minutes to try to calm down, to come here to say the right things. But it’s normal. And I think it felt really quiet, the dressing room. And that is a good thing.
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Onana has struggled since joining Man United in 2023
“We draw away in Europe. That’s always hard. The team is suffering, but we need to change that and we have the opportunity to change. So let’s focus on that.
“We have training, go with Vital and we deal with that. So I’m really natural that can happen with any player. There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him. So the most important thing is to be natural. And then when the time comes, I will choose the best 11 to play. But I’m really confident in Andre.”
However, according to the Daily Mail, Amorim is giving serious consideration to dropping Onana on Sunday, with number two Altay Bayindir in line for a spot between the sticks.
Bayindir had recently been unavailable for selection due to an injury problem, but the Turkey international has now been on the bench for the last three matches, returning after the international break at the start of April.
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Bayindir could start for Man United against Newcastle
The 26-year-old has made six appearances for Man United this season, conceding eight times and keeping two clean sheets, but he has never featured in the Premier League for the Red Devils.
As a result, it would be a major call for Amorim to make, but according to the Manchester Evening News, Onana is seriously concerned that he will be dropped following his two mistakes against Lyon.
The Cameroonian had been involved in a war of words with former Man United midfielder Nemanja Matic ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final, but he was unable to put in a performance that would have silenced his doubters.
The 2023 signing from Inter Milan allowed a Thiago Almada free kick to sail into the back of the net to give Lyon the lead in the first half of the contest, before he fumbled a strike from Georges Mikautadze into a dangerous area late on, which led to Rayan Cherki making it 2-2.
Man United are thought to be keen to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, with Parma‘s Zion Suzuki believed to have been scouted on a number of occasions by the club during the 2024-25 campaign.
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