Altay Bayindir starts derby as Man Utd take patient approach with Senne Lammens

Altay Bayindir will keep his place as Manchester United’s number one for Sunday’s derby against City despite the deadline-day arrival of Senne Lammens.

Lammens joined from Royal Antwerp in an £18.2million deal that paved the way for Andre Onana to head to Trabzonspor on a season-long loan, but he will be given time to adjust as Bayindir continues his run of starting every Premier League game so far this term.

“Altay is going to continue,” Amorim said. “It is a different league, a different country, different training and a different ball, so we try to maintain that and they will fight for the position. But for me in this game it is clear, Altay will start.”

Lammens has been away with Belgium since signing for United, although the 23-year-old is yet to make his senior international debut.

United had been strongly linked with more experienced goalkeepers, not least Aston Villa’s World Cup winner Emi Martinez, before choosing Lammens.

“He is a goalkeeper with a lot of potential,” Amorim said. “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.

“Sometimes as a club you try to see different options. We have an option that can give us different things in the moment but also has great potential to be our goalkeeper for a number of years.”

Onana’s exit was confirmed on Thursday night with Amorim saying it was the best solution for all parties.

“We saw Andre Onana had a very, very good season with Inter (Milan),” he said of the goalkeeper who joined United for £43.8million in the summer of 2023. “The quality is there but sometimes in the moment things are getting harder and harder.

“You can be really experienced. But in this club the pressure sometimes is so hard on every detail, sometimes you need a change. We believe a lot in our goalkeepers, I believe in Altay and he’s ready to play.”

Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot have all been ruled out of Sunday’s match against City, with Cunha and Mount both hurt in the 3-2 win over Burnley before the international break while Dalot pulled out of Portugal’s squad.

“I don’t know how long they will be out for because if you catch Cunha outside and ask him if he can play this game he will say yes,” Amorim said. “We manage it day by day but he’s pushing really hard.”

Sunday is the first Manchester derby in almost five years where United will start the day above City in the table, albeit with this only the fourth match of the season. United won this fixture last season as two late goals saw them snatch a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium early in Amorim’s tenure.

“I think we are a better team (now),” Amorim said. “Any aspect, if you see the data, we are a different team. We are ready to play the game. But we have to show it on Sunday. I think we are a better team.”