Chris Sutton has issued his prediction for Manchester United’s upcoming trip to face Newcastle United, with Rúben Amorim potentially dropping André Onana for the tie.
Manchester United are back in Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they make the trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United.
Currently 13th in the table, United have failed to score in their last two league games but managed to end their drought with two goals in a 2-2 Europa League draw against Lyon on Thursday night.
Rúben Amorim’s side had shown signs of building momentum before the March international break, but a defeat to Nottingham Forest and consecutive draws against Manchester City and Lyon have stalled their progress.
Their next test comes against a Newcastle side firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot. Eddie Howe’s men are 5th in the Premier League and will be eager to tighten their grip on one of the five available places.
Amorim may drop Onana vs Newcastle
Against Lyon in midweek, United fans were fuming at goalkeeper André Onana after he made two blunders that cost the side a key win in the Europa League.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Cameroon international is now becoming concerned that Amorim may choose to drop him and play Altay Bayındır following his mistakes after a public spat with former Red Nemanja Matic ahead of the tie.
Further, a breaking report from MailSport has now confirmed that dropping Onana and starting Bayındır is now an option that Amorim is seriously considering, with the head coach looking to take his first-choice goalkeeper out of the firing line.
This is said to be one of a number of changes the 40-year-old is considering making to his starting XI after naming an unchanged team against Lyon for the first time in his United tenure.
Sutton issues Newcastle vs United prediction
Amid the news that Onana may be dropped, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has issued his prediction for the Tyneside fixture on Sunday afternoon.
Despite stating he feels Amorim is starting to steady the ship at Old Trafford, he feels Newcastle’s form and talent will be too much, with Howe’s men set to defeat United 2-0.
“It does feel like Ruben Amorim is steadying the ship at Manchester United but there is nothing much for them to get excited about in the Premier League and it could be a pretty dull end to their domestic campaign, especially because they are finding it difficult to score goals,” Sutton told BBC Sport.
“Like Tottenham, United’s season is hanging on the Europa League now, but their Premier League results still matter for Amorim because he needs to put some credit into the bank going into next season.
“I just can’t see past a Newcastle win here, though. They are one of the teams in this race for the Champions League places and are in great form. Now we know the top five are guaranteed to get in, I am confident they will make it.
“It just shows the value of winning the Carabao Cup because it seems like it has given them a big leg up.
“They will have enjoyed themselves celebrating for a few days but now they are focused on making it into the Champions League, which is so important because of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. If they make it, it gives them the opportunity to build.”
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.