Andre Onana is set to be dropped for Manchester United’s trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, but the struggling goalkeeper’s exclusion could only be short-lived, with the Cameroonian expected to be back to face Lyon in next week’s make-or-break Europa League clash.
Two further Onana errors cost his team a crucial victory in France on Thursday, form which has led to a growing number of supporters calling for the United stopper to be taken out of the firing line, after a turbulent week.
The i Paper has been told those fans could get their wish at St James’ Park, with fit-again Altay Bayindir to deputise in goal.
As it stands, however, Ruben Amorim is planning to keep faith with Onana for United’s most important match of the season so far – next Thursday’s second leg against Lyon, with their Europa League quarter-final finely poised.
Despite not possessing the biggest squad, Amorim could make several more changes for the weekend trip to the north-east, with Bruno Fernandes another who could get a rest.
“We don’t have a team that is really big and then we have players who cannot make 90 minutes in this moment, we have to be really careful,” Amorim said.
“We will try to protect the ones that it will be hard to make a lot of games.”
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Onana could benefit from a week out of the limelight.
His surprising war of words with former United midfielder Nemanja Matic – instigated by Onana insisting United were “way better” than Lyon – dominated the pre-match discourse.
Matic’s rebuttal that Onana needs to be careful what he says, as he is one of the “worst goalkeepers” in the club’s history, turned a boisterous Lyon crowd on the United ‘keeper as he made his way into the Groupama Stadium pitch.
Onana needed a strong performance to silence the doubters, but only added to fears he is not good enough to remain as David de Gea’s long-term successor.
His poor attempt to palm Thiago Almada’s free-kick away gave Lyon a soft opener, before only being able to parry a 95th-minute shot straight out in front him denied United a galvanising away win.
Onana has made eight errors leading to a goal since the start of last season across all competitions – more than any Premier League goalkeeper in that time.
For the match that could help United salvage something from their miserable season – taking a step closer to winning the Europa League and a return to Champions League football next term – Onana is set to get one more chance.