Andre Onana (29, Manchester United) is facing the biggest crisis of his career.
The British outlet The Athletic reported on the 13th (Korean time) that "Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is not expected to play against Newcastle United."
Onana has maintained a record of 69 consecutive appearances in the Premier League since his transfer from Inter Milan in the summer of 2023, but coach Ruben Amorim is reportedly granting him a rest for this away match while providing Altay Bayındır his debut opportunity.
This decision is interpreted as reflecting internal reactions to the recent controversies and mistakes surrounding Onana, going beyond merely the aspect of taking a rest.
In the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals against Olympique Lyonnais, Onana was directly responsible for two goals. He failed to stop a free kick from Thiago Almada in the 25th minute of the first half and, in added time of the second half, improperly handled a shot from Corentin Tolisso, allowing Rayan Cherki to score the equalizer, leading to a 2-2 draw.
In this regard, the British outlet The Sun noted that "Manchester United players are angry over Onana's remarks and performance," conveying dissatisfaction within the team.
The Sun quoted an internal source from Manchester United saying, "Some players think he ruined the game with mistakes after publicly provoking Lyon. Considering the team atmosphere, there is also an opinion that now is the time to give Bayındır an opportunity."
In fact, Onana sparked controversy before the match by stating, "We are much stronger than Lyon," to which Lyon midfielder and former Manchester United player Nemanja Matic strongly criticized him, calling him "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history." Onana responded by pointing out that Matic did not win a single trophy during his time at Manchester United, but his mistakes in the match worsened public opinion.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes said, "Onana must be regretting that he should have kept his mouth shut by now," adding, "The mistake that happened in the 95th minute was truly terrible." Peter Schmeichel also evaluated, "There are times when players should not say certain things. In Onana's case, it had a completely opposite effect."
Coach Amorim commented on Onana's performance, saying, "There is nothing helpful to say to him. We should have secured at least a one-goal victory."
As a result of this decision, backup goalkeeper Bayındır will make his Premier League debut in the away match against Newcastle, and Onana is highly likely to return for the second leg of the Europa League against Lyon at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Currently, Manchester United remains in 13th place in the league, desperately seeking a solution to turn around the crisis.
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