Update: Manchester United supporters deliver Andre Onana verdict as Ruben Amorim makes Lyon stance clear News

Andre Onana is set to return for Manchester United against Lyon on Thursday night

Manchester United fans have urged Ruben Amorim to give third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton a run in the XI for the rest of the season.

Andre Onana was dropped for Sunday’s 4-1 defeat against Newcastle after making two mistakes in the 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League. Altay Bayindir deputised in his place, but he didn’t cover himself in glory after his misplaced pass led to Newcastle’s fourth goal.

United head coach Ruben Amorim now faces a conundrum over what to do about United’s current problems in goal, with neither Onana nor Bayindir impressing this season. And ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second-leg against Lyon, Amorim has been told to use 39-year-old shot-stopper Heaton.

The former Burnley and Aston Villa ‘keeper, who started his career at United, returned to Old Trafford in July 2021 as back-up to David de Gea and Dean Henderson. He has since made three first-team appearances for United. However, the last of those came in February 2023 when he started the second-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Two years and two months on from his last game for United, Heaton has been backed to return to the United XI and be utilised instead of Onana and Bayindir. Following a Manchester Evening News reader poll which reached 1,700 responses, Heaton was voted as the man that should be United’s primary ‘keeper for the rest of the season.

Experienced stopper Heaton fetched 46 per cent of the votes. Turkey international Bayindir came out second with 30 per cent, while Cameroon’s Onana finished last on 24 per cent.

Despite this, Amorim confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Onana will start for United against Lyon on Thursday. The 29-year-old will return to the side after he was left out to face Newcastle.

Explaining why Onana will start ahead of Bayindir and Heaton, Amorim said: “I think as a former coach and a player, I try to do things that can help a player in this situation.

“We talk about managing players physically, but we also have to manage them mentally. This week, my thinking was to put [Andre] Onana to play.”

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