Bayindir to Start as United Face City, Amorim Hails New Signing Lammens' Long-Term Potential

Altay Bayindir will retain Manchester United's starting goalkeeper spot for Sunday's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, but head coach Ruben Amorim said new signing Senne Lammens has the potential to be the club's long-term number one.

United completed the £18.1m signing of 23-year-old Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day, a deal that was chosen in preference to World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez. With Andre Onana loaned to Turkish club Trabzonspor, competition for the goalkeeping position has shifted, yet Amorim confirmed Bayindir will start against neighbours Manchester City.

"He has great potential to be our goalkeeper for a number of years," Amorim said of Lammens. "Sometimes as a club, you try to see different options. We are in a moment where the goalkeeper needs to be really strong and have a lot of experience. But as well as looking at the present, we must have a focus on the future."

Bayindir, 27, has started all three of United's Premier League matches this season. He has made mistakes that led to goals in matches against Arsenal and Burnley, but Amorim cited the goalkeeper's comparative experience — including 10 international caps for Turkey — as a key factor in keeping him as the immediate first choice. "It is a different league, different country, different ball," Amorim added. "Altay is going to continue."

Onana's departure was rooted in form and fitness issues that accumulated over the summer. The Cameroon international, who won a Serie A title with Inter Milan and played in the 2023 Champions League final, suffered an injury in pre-season and committed errors that contributed to United's shock EFL Cup defeat by fourth-tier Grimsby Town. That game, which ended 2-2 before Grimsby prevailed on penalties, proved decisive in the decision to send Onana out on loan.

"The quality is there but at this club the pressure is so hard in every detail, sometimes you need a change," Amorim said about Onana. "It's hard to point why. It's the performance, the moments, the bad luck. It is hard on him and hard on us. I wish the best for Andre but sometimes, you can have all the quality in the world but you need to change the environment to return to your level. That was the feeling, not just from us, but also from Andre."

Amorim confirmed three players will miss the derby through injury: Mason Mount, Matheus Cunha and Diogo Dalot. Cunha suffered a hamstring issue in the first half of the 3-2 win over Burnley on 30 August; Mount did not return for the second period of that match; and Dalot withdrew from Portugal's World Cup qualifiers this month after experiencing muscular discomfort. Amorim declined to give timelines for their returns, saying he would "manage day by day" and that the trio were "out for this game."

The manager also addressed Manchester United's long-standing record of including at least one academy graduate in every first-team matchday squad since 1937. Kobbie Mainoo was the lone academy graduate in the squad for the Burnley game before the international break; the midfielder had sought a loan move late in the transfer window that was not granted. Amorim said he wanted to preserve the club's tradition. "We want to maintain it," he said. "The past of Manchester United is built on kids. I don't want to be the guy that breaks that."

Lammens' arrival signals United's attempt to balance immediate need with long-term planning in goal. The Belgian is young and has limited top-flight experience compared with Bayindir, who only made his Premier League debut in April but has accrued international appearances. Amorim's selections for the upcoming derby reflect a preference for current experience in a high-pressure fixture while keeping an eye on the squad's future composition.

United travel to the Etihad seeking a positive result against a Manchester City side that has dominated recent derbies. Team selection, injuries and the recent changes to the goalkeeping department will be focal points as Amorim's side prepare for one of the most scrutinised matches of the domestic season.