Under-fire Onana dropped for Newcastle clash

Newcastle

Manchester United have dropped goalkeeper Andre Onana from their squad for Sunday’s Premier League match against Newcastle United. This follows his costly mistakes in their recent 2-2 draw against Lyon in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Onana, who has played every league minute since joining in 2023, will be replaced by Altay Bayindir. The Turkish keeper has appeared only six times this season and is set to make his Premier League debut.

Sky Sports reports that head coach Ruben Amorim made the decision to rest Onana following his rough spell. Apart from on-field errors, Onana has been affected by off-field issues. Last month, his wife was reportedly robbed outside a restaurant in Manchester, adding emotional strain.

Onana’s recent comments before the Lyon match added to the controversy. He claimed Manchester United were stronger than their French opponents. In response, former United star Nemanja Matic harshly criticised Onana, calling him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history.”

During the Lyon game, Onana failed to stop Thiago Almada’s free-kick and then parried a shot into the path of Rayan Cherki, resulting in a last-minute equaliser.

Despite the recent setback, Onana may return for the second leg against Lyon on Thursday. Until then, Bayindir will step into the spotlight as Manchester United aim to bounce back in the league.