Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Altay Bayindir (27) will retain his place in goal for Sunday’s derby clash with Manchester City, despite the arrival of deadline-day signing Senne Lammens.
With André Onana’s loan move to Trabzonspor sealed on Thursday, Amorim was faced with a choice between Bayindir, last season’s deputy, and 23-year-old Lammens, who joined from Royal Antwerp for £18m plus add-ons. Speaking ahead of the trip to the Etihad and reported by Fabrizio Romano, the United boss backed Bayindir’s experience.
“Altay is going to continue,” Amorim said. “It is a different league, different country, different ball. The goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience. We are also in a moment where we must look at the present but also the future. Lammens has great potential, but I believe in Altay, he’s ready to play.”
Injuries Add to Amorim’s Dilemmas
Amorim’s goalkeeping decision provides rare certainty in a week of selection challenges. Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount, and Diogo Dalot have all been ruled out of the derby. Cunha and Mount limped off during the 3-2 win over Burnley before the international break, while Dalot withdrew from Portugal duty with a muscle injury.
“They are out for this game,” Amorim confirmed. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take. We need those guys to be a very competitive team, but we have very good players eager to play, so we will be competitive on Sunday.”
Manchester United will face Manchester City at 16:30 BST on Sunday.
GFN | Finn Entwistle
