MANCHESTER United manager Ruben Amorim confirmed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will retain his starting position for this weekend’s derby against Manchester City despite the recent signing of Senne Lammens.
Goalkeeping issues have contributed to another slow start to the season for the Red Devils.
Bayindir has played all three Premier League matches but faced criticism for his role in goals conceded against Arsenal and Burnley at Old Trafford.
Andre Onana began United’s embarrassing League Cup defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby but has since been loaned to Turkish club Trabzonspor.
Lammens joined from Royal Antwerp for a reported initial fee of 18 million pounds on September 1.
Amorim stated the Belgian would compete for the number one position but cautioned against immediately starting him against City at the Etihad.
“We are really pleased. He’s a goalkeeper with a lot of potential. We are in the moment that we have to look at the present but also with the focus on the future. So it’s a little bit of both,“ said Amorim regarding Lammens.
“Altay is going to continue because it’s a different league, it’s a different country, different trainings, different ball, so we’ll try to maintain that and they will fight for the position.”
Last season’s victory at the Etihad represented one of Amorim’s few Premier League successes.
Despite collecting just four points from their opening three matches, United have shown minor improvements in Premier League performances aside from the Grimsby disappointment.
Amorim believes his team has progressed since defeating their cross-city rivals in December, one month after his appointment.
“I think we are a better team. I think if you see any aspect, if you see the data, we are a different team,“ he stated.
“We are ready to play the game, but we have to show it on Sunday.”
Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot have been ruled out of Sunday’s clash due to injury. – AFP
