Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is putting his faith firmly in Andre Onana as the Red Devils prepare for a make-or-break Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon on Thursday.
Despite coming under fire for his costly mistakes in last week’s 2-2 draw in France, Onana will return between the posts a move that speaks volumes about Amorim’s approach to man-management and belief in the goalkeeper’s resilience.
“Onana, he will play tomorrow,” Amorim confirmed during his pre-match press conference.
The 29-year-old Cameroonian international was dropped for Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Newcastle, with Altay Bayindir stepping in. But Amorim emphasized that the brief absence was a calculated decision aimed at supporting Onana, not punishing him.
“As a coach, and also as a former player, I try to do things that can help a player in this situation,” Amorim said. “Sometimes we talk about managing players physically. We have to manage them also mentally but then they have to return to competition, and Onana is ready.”
“He had one weekend that I felt it was better for him to not play, and a good thing for Altay to play. This week, my thinking was to put Onana to play.”
Amorim also addressed speculation surrounding United’s summer plans for the goalkeeping position, calling for improvements across the board rather than singling out any one player.
“My answer is that we need to improve every position on the field,” he said. “Goalkeeper is the same, we can work with Andre.
“If our team scores more goals and is more dangerous on the forwards and the strikers, we will defend better. Andre Onana already proved that he is a top player at Inter (Milan).”
The manager isn’t the only one standing behind Onana. Former club captain Harry Maguire also expressed full confidence in the under-fire keeper.
“He’s going to be there tomorrow night,” said Maguire. “He is a big personality, a big character and he will be looking forward to the game. He will want to show everyone again what he is about.”
“Playing in front of Andre, it’s great. I have confidence in Andre, he has had a fantastic career. He has got great experience and we all know he is an excellent goalkeeper.”
In a high-stakes match that could define United’s season, Amorim is doubling down on trust sending a clear message that belief, not blame, is his guiding principle.
