Manchester United kicked off the 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a 1-0 loss to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday evening.
The Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim opted to start second-choice goalkeeper Altay Bayindir against the Gunners having left Andre Onana completely out of the matchday squad.
The Cameroon international has been linked with a move away from Man United, and the decision of the Portuguese boss to drop him today raised eye brows as he claimed just on Friday that he expects Onana to be ready for the game.
The Red Devils goalie has now reacted to the decision, and he is convinced it is unconnected to his future at the Old Trafford club, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
“The feeling of those close to Andre Onana is that this decision was just because Onana was recovering from injury,” the journalist said on his YouTube channel this evening.
“Onana accepts the decision and does not think it is related to his future.”
The 29-year-old has trained just three times since recovering from the hamstring injury which kept him out of action during pre-season, and he was working alone at the club’s Carrington training ground earlier today.
He is in good physical shape, which made the decision to drop him baffling to many, but it is believed he was not ready to face Arsenal.
Bayindir did not cover himself in glory today, failing to properly deal with the corner which led to the winning goal, and Onana might have done better.
Amorim suggested he was unimpressed with the Turkey international after the game, and he could have been left ruing his decision not to play Onana or even Tom Heaton.
Man United are back in action next Sunday with a trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham in their first away game of the campaign, and Onana is expected to be back in the starting XI.