Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim dismissed suggestions that he needs to strengthen his goalkeeping options, despite Altay Bayindir’s costly error in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
Bayindir, preferred ahead of Andre Onana at Old Trafford, failed to deal with a corner from Declan Rice which allowed Riccardo Calafiori to head in the only goal of the game.
Onana, who had missed pre-season with a hamstring issue, returned to full training last week but was not included in the squad.
Amorim, however, stood by his goalkeeper when questioned after the match.
“I’m happy with the three goalkeepers,” said Amorim. “He [Bayindir] chooses to get the ball, but he’s getting pushed. That is my feeling when I see the play.
“You choose to push a player [out of the way] or to get the ball in that moment. He needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not push players. He chooses to push players and let the ball pass.”
The decision to start Bayindir came as a surprise, particularly as Amorim had confirmed on Friday that Onana was fit to feature. But he insisted the Cameroonian was not “dropped.”
“I didn’t drop Onana from the squad,” Amorim said. “It’s not the case of dropping Ornana. It’s not putting Andre Onana in just one week without seeing the game, without time, with training.
“Tom [Heaton] and Bayindir, during the pre-season, they did a good job.”
Despite the narrow defeat, United created several good opportunities and were arguably the stronger side for long periods. Patrick Dorgu struck the post in the first half, while Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo forced saves from Arsenal keeper David Raya.
“It’s that feeling that we played better,” Amorim said. “We were the better team, but in the end we lost the game. I’m really proud of the work that they put on the field and that is important to move forward.
“We proved today that we can win any game in the Premier League, especially against a great team like Arsenal, and we were the better team.”
The match also highlighted potential changes in United’s attacking options. Rasmus Hojlund, left out of the squad entirely, faces growing uncertainty over his future.
Reports in Italy have linked the striker, who joined United in 2023, with a move to Milan. Their sporting director told Mediaset: “Hojlund is a good option for us. We are thinking about him but in transfer market you never know what could happen.”
Meanwhile, new arrival Benjamin Sesko was introduced from the bench against the Gunners after being unveiled to the Old Trafford crowd beforehand. Amorim suggested the pair are in direct competition.
“It is a fight for places,” Amorim said. “We’ll see what is going to happen in the market. There are different characteristics. Rasmus has the same characteristics of Benjamin Sesko, so we need to choose.”
