Ruben Amorim confirms goalkeeper decision ahead of Manchester derby, including reason for signing Senne Lammens

Add as preferred source on Google

Ruben Amorim has confirmed which goalkeeper will start in the Manchester derby on Sunday.

There has been a shake-up in the goalkeeper department at Manchester United.

After reporting for pre-season with a hamstring injury, Andre Onana has been overlooked by Ruben Amorim for the first three Premier League games of the 2025/26 campaign.

Turkey international Altay Bayindir started ahead of Onana in those league matches, but his mistakes led United back into the transfer market on deadline day.

United signed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18.2m, which meant the writing was on the wall for Amorim’s former first-choice goalkeeper.

Onana completed a loan switch to Turkish side Trabzonspor on Thursday.

As a result, United fans have been debating whether Amorim will start Bayindir or Lammens in the Manchester derby.

Altay Bayindir will start in the Manchester derby

It came as a surprise to journalists attending Amorim’s press conference that he would reveal who would get the nod between the sticks when United travel to the Etihad Stadium.

Amorim decided to shut down any uncertainty ahead of the match by confirming Bayindir will remain in goal for the derby.

“It is the same thing I do with different positions but Altay is going to continue,” Amorim told reporters, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

“It is a different league, different country, different training, different ball. So they will fight for the position.”

Amorim also noted that he is pleased to have signed Lammens, a goalkeeper he considers to have lots of potential.

The United head coach went on to stress that Bayindir is ready to play.

“I think sometimes to connect with Andre. Andre Onana did a very good season in Inter, the quality is there but in the club sometimes things is getting harder and harder but in this club the pressure is so hard in every detail sometimes you need a change. I believe in Altay he is ready to play.”

Ruben Amorim explains decision to sign Senne Lammens

This was the first opportunity for the press to ask Amorim about his new signing.

Amorim made it clear that he believes Lammens has lots of potential and it’s only a matter of time before he will be ready to feature for the first-team.

“We are really pleased, he is a goalkeeper with a lot of potential. We are in the moment that the goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience, but we also have to look at the present with a focus on the future so it is a bit of both. He will be ready.”

When asked why United signed Lammens, Amorim replied: “Sometimes you as a club you try to see different options, one or another. We have an option that can give us different things in the moment, but also has a great potential to be our goalkeeper for a number of years.”