Ruben confirms keeper for Lyon game

Altay Bayindir replaced Andre Onana for Sunday's 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United, as the Cameroon international did not travel to Tyneside.

Before that contest, Amorim said Onana - who had previously played every Premier League game since joining the club in July 2023 - needed to 'disconnect' from both a mental and physical aspect.

The former Internazionale and Ajax keeper was present for Wednesday's open session at Carrington, alongside Altay, Tom Heaton and young stoppers Elyh Harrison and Dermot Mee.

And Amorim confirmed to journalists at the press conference that Andre would be brought back into the side, for the visit of Paulo Fonseca's men.

“Onana will play tomorrow,” Ruben said.

“I just think first of all as a coach, and also as a former player,” he continued.

“I try to do things that can help a player in this situation. So sometimes we talk about managing players physically, we have to manage them also mentally.

“But then, they have to return to competition and Onana is ready.

“He had one weekend that I felt it was better for him to not play, and a good thing for Altay, and this week, my thinking was to put Onana to play.”

Amorim went on to explain how the decision was obviously made after consultation with his staff.

"Of course, the staff is there not just to be there," he stated. "Of course, I have conversations and then I have my feeling as a coach and a former player.

"Then I’m trying to imagine the game, because they, of course, are defending a goal but they have different characteristics. So I make the evaluation the same way that I make it for the other players.

"Of course, the other players, the way we want to play, is more with me, of course I have a conversation with the staff, but of course, Craig [Mawson] and [Jorge] Vital have a huge impact in my decision."

The boss accepts there is going to be a lot of scrutiny over the selection but that he has to make such calls in his position.

"Yeah, that is not just the dilemma but the big factor on being a coach," he said. "Everything you do has two ways. He’s going to be really good tomorrow, I’m sure of that, but if he’s the other way, people will say that it was a bad decision.

"We never know. I’m trying to be clear on things, try to make the evaluation, be really simple, not over-thinking, and when I imagine the game, and I see Andre Onana, he had one week and he rested, now he’s ready to return to competition and I chose Andre to start this game."