Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that Andre Onana was left out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Arsenal purely due to a tactical decision, despite the goalkeeper recovering from a hamstring injury. Onana, 29, was not included in the matchday squad, with Altay Bayindir starting in goal and Tom Heaton on the bench.
Onana suffered a hamstring injury in early July and missed pre-season fixtures, but both the player and club had hoped he would be ready for the start of the season. However, his rehabilitation did not go entirely to plan, and he only trained on a handful of occasions before the match, spending early Sunday training alone at Carrington.
Amorim insisted that Onana was fully fit and that the decision was his own. 'We try to choose the best players for each game,' he said. 'No, he’s not injured. He’s recovered, but the other guys did so well during pre-season, so I need to balance that.'
Onana has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer after two difficult seasons. Before the match, he was seen in the tunnel with Rasmus Hojlund, who is also expected to leave, laughing and joking as they watched teammates warm up.
New signing Benjamin Sesko, a £74million arrival from RB Leipzig, was only named among the substitutes, with Amorim opting to start Matheus Cunha as the most advanced forward. 'Ben had a very good week, but he is just one week here,' Amorim added. 'Let the guy settle down. He is ready to help us in the game.'
