Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim decided to leave goalkeeper Andre Onana on the bench for their Premier League clash against Fulham in favour of starting Altay Bayindir, despite the latter’s costly error in last week’s loss to Arsenal.
Bayindir’s failure to deal with a corner led to Riccardo Calafiori scoring the only goal of the game at Old Trafford as United fell to an opening day loss, and the build-up to the Fulham match has seen plenty of fans and pundits question whether Onana would be given a starting berth.
However, Amorim has decided to stick with Turkey international Bayindir, with Onana taking a place on the bench after not even making the squad on the opening weekend.
Amorim’s decision comes as United are in talks over the signing of highly rated Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who plays for Royal Antwerp. The Portuguese wants to add more competition for places, and reports elsewhere suggest a fee of around £17m could bring the 23-year-old to Manchester.
It is not know for sure what this means for the future of Bayindir or Onana, though The Independent reported that Onana is expected to stay at Old Trafford.
It means that the decision to stick with Bayindir is a loaded one, with Lammens not necessarily arriving as a guaranteed starter and both current ‘keepers needing to prove themselves in the lead-up to his potential arrival.
Amorim defended Bayindir in the aftermath of the Arsenal result and seemed pleased with the team’s overall performance, which is mirrored in his team selection ahead of Fulham.
The United boss has made just one change to the side that lost to Arsenal, with Amad starting at right wing-back in place of Diogo Dalot. Benjamin Sesko has to wait to make his full debut, with Mason Mount starting again alongside Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the attacking positions.
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