Ruben Amorim has confirmed Andre Onana will return to the Manchester United team for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg with Lyon.
Onana was not included in the United squad which lost 4-1 at Newcastle United on Sunday, with head coach Amorim explaining that “it is a good time to disconnect”. The Cameroon international had faced criticism over both goals conceded in the first leg against Lyon, though was only credited with one ‘error leading to a goal’, according to Opta.
Altay Bayindir replaced Onana against Newcastle, making his first Premier League start for United since joining from Fenerbahce in the summer of 2023. However, the 27-year-old was at fault for Newcastle’s fourth goal after his pass was intercepted by Joelinton, who set up Bruno Guimaraes to score.
Bayindir has been sparingly used at United, with Onana often selected to start cup and European games ahead of the Turkey international. He has only featured eight times for United, keeping two clean sheets, but did earn plaudits for his performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January, when he saved one penalty in normal time and one in the shootout as his side progressed.
The Newcastle game, meanwhile, was the first league fixture Onana had missed since his move to Old Trafford from Inter nearly two years ago. The 29-year-old has kept 23 clean sheets in his 94 appearances across all competitions.
United had gone behind against Lyon last Thursday after Thiago Almada’s in-swinging deep free kick bypassed everyone and was palmed in by Onana. A goal in just before half-time from Leny Yoro and then one in the 88th minute from Joshua Zirkzee had United in front, before Rayan Cherki followed up a save from Onana to equalise in second-half stoppage time.
United are 15th in the Premier League, 17 points behind fifth-placed Manchester City.
(Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)