Ruben Amorim has explained his decision to take Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana out of the firing for the visit to Newcastle.
Onana made two high-profile mistakes against Lyon on Thursday and Amorim said he wanted to let the goalkeeper “disconnect” and clear his head.
Onana is still expected to be recalled for Thursday’s second leg of the Europa League quarter-final with Lyon but his deputy Altay Bayindir making his belated Premier League debut at St James’ Park.
“These are normal things, sometimes you have to push the player to play again or let them disconnect,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “Tomorrow he’ll be in training to prepare for the next one. This was a good time to disconnect.”
When asked to explain how Onana took the news, Amorim said: “He was OK. You don’t need to like [the decision] but you need to understand because I explain every situation. It’s a normal situation. We have to manage everything, the mental aspect is really important and it’s just one game.”
Onana had been branded one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history by Nemanja Matic before the 2-2 draw at the Groupama Stadium and the Cameroon international was at fault when he conceded from Thiago Almada’s long-range free kick and only pushed the ball out to Rayan Cherki for his 95th-minute equaliser.
Amorim defended Onana after the game in France but has decided to give him a break after a difficult week for the former Internazionale goalkeeper. His wife was robbed of a watch and a handbag, leading United to provide their family with 24-hour protection.
Bayindir, who was also signed in 2023, has made seven appearances for United, six of them this season, but Onana has been ever-present in the top flight since he joined for £47m.
