Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly planning to sideline goalkeeper Andre Onana following a disappointing performance in their 2-2 draw with Lyon in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals.
Onana was blamed for both Lyon’s goals—misjudging a free kick from Thiago Almada in the first half and fumbling a late shot from Georges Mikautadze that allowed Rayan Cherki to equalize in stoppage time. ..Continue Reading
His errors come shortly after a public spat with ex-United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who harshly criticized Onana, calling him “one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history.”
This followed Onana’s bold claim that Amorim’s side is “far superior” to their Europa League rivals.
According to the Daily Mail, Amorim is weighing the option of benching Onana for their upcoming Premier League clash against Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Backup keeper Altay Bayindir is in line to step in, despite not featuring since January—his last appearance being after a standout FA Cup penalty shootout win over Arsenal and subsequent Europa League group stage games.
“Mail Sport understands that Amorim is set to make a number of changes for the visit to Tyneside,” continues the report.
Joshua Zirkzee, who has also been subject to extensive criticism this campaign but tucked away a confident header to put United ahead at Lyon on Thursday, revealed that Onana has the support of the dressing room as well as Amorim.
“One hundred per cent,” Zirkzee told the media. ‘We’re one team, so we’re not going to take someone out for making mistakes. That’s ridiculous.”
Manchester United head into Sunday’s fixture sitting in 13th place in the Premier League, eager to narrow the gap between themselves and the teams just above them—Brentford and Crystal Palace.
With only seven games left in the season, their slim chances of securing a top-half finish are quickly slipping away after what has been a largely underwhelming campaign.
Andre Onana has featured in every league match for United in the 2024-25 season up to this point.
