Update: |Amorim makes Andre Onana decision as he speaks out on Nemanja Matic comment about Man Utd goalkeeper News

There has been a back-and-forth between Nemanja Matic and Andre Onana after the Man United goalkeeper’s mixed zone comments.

Ruben Amorim has downplayed the backbiting between Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana and Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Matic described Onana as “one of the worst goalkeepers in the history of Manchester United” after the Cameroon international bullishly claimed United are “way better” than Lyon.

Onana responded on social media by insisting he “would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent”. He added: “At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.” Onana has won the FA Cup with United and Matic spent five trophyless years at the club.

Onana will start for United in Lyon, having kept goal in all but two of their Premier League and Europa League fixtures this season. Back-up ‘keeper Altay Bayindir, who started in the last two league ties against Rangers and FCSB, is fit again.

United take on Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday evening and Amorim, who was teammates with Matic at Benfica, believes he has not read Onana’s quotes in the full context.

“Tomorrow Onana is going to play and Altay is returning now so we have two, three top goalkeepers that are ready to play,” Amorim said. “Tomorrow (the exchange between Matic and Onana) will not matter.

“I think if you see the full quote of Andre Onana, it’s quite different. The first sentence is, ‘Lyon is a very, very good team’. So I think sometimes the players or the coaches don’t always listen to the full quote and sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding. And I know Matic also, he’s a great guy, tomorrow is gonna be a normal game.

“It’s really hard, really hard to deal with [the fallout from the quotes], that is for sure. And if you look to all the quotes, you can’t see disrespect there, just respect but trying to give confidence and to show confidence in his team, especially this year.

“Everybody can talk bad things about Manchester United. Sometimes our group, as a player, as a staff, has to show confidence in our team, that’s all.

“I know Nemanja Matic really well, what a good guy he is. So you hear some things by half, not the whole story and that for me is clear in this situation.”

United are unbeaten in their ten Europa League matches this season and have scored in every game, tallying 21 goals.

In the Premier League, United are still marooned in 13th place and have a -4 goal difference. Amorim acknowledges the team is currently better equipped for continental football.

“I think it’s nothing tactical,” he added. “I truly believe it’s the pace of the game, the physicality of the game. We have the best league in the world, sometimes the games you don’t see a lot of intensity but I can guarantee you compared to games in the Europa League – and I have the data to think about it – it’s completely different.

“And if you have one more second to think with the ball, it’s a different game. Until now I felt a difference when we play Europa League and when we play any Premier League game, so that small space of times can give us an advantage to play better.”