Man Utd GK has zero saves in Nations Cup…returns to club…competition for starting spot inevitable
Manchester United second goalkeeper Altay Bindre’s debut could be his first and last of the season.
The Red Devils will take on Newport County at Rodney Parade in Newport, Wales, England, on April 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET in the Round of 32 of the FA Cup for the 2023-2024 season.
One of the most anticipated players in the match is Bindre. Bindre is a goalkeeper from the country of Turkiye. He came up through the youth ranks of MKE Ankaragüzu, where he was a sub goalkeeper before the 2018-2019 season. He made his first-team debut after the club was promoted to the Turkiye Super Lig.
Bindre signed a four-year contract with his hometown club Fenerbahçe SK in July 2019 and immediately became the first-choice goalkeeper, making 35 appearances in the season. His performance earned him a call-up to the Turkiye national team in November 2020.
Ahead of this season, Bindre moved to United to join the top five leagues in Europe. He became the first Turkije player to join United. He finally made his debut in the FA Cup. ”Bindre will start,” said manager Eric ten Hagh in his pre-match press conference.
However, there’s a chance that Bindre’s debut will be his last of the season. The reason is the return of Andre Onana. Onana joined United last season after leading Inter Milan to a UEFA Champions League runner-up finish and was recalled by Van Gaal.
Onana has been away for a while. He joined the Cameroon squad for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Nations Cup 2023, which concluded with a 21st round match against Tottenham Hotspur on July 15. Second choice goalkeeper Bindre looked set to remain in goal for the time being.
But then came the bad news for Bindre. Cameroon lost 0-2 to Nigeria in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations on Aug. 28. Cameroon failed to advance to the quarterfinals and Onana will return to his club, United. Onana’s return will require Bindre to be in goal again.
Onana has started every game for Manchester United this season. He’s been in goal in 30 games, including the English Premier League. The only way for Bindre to get consistent playing time is to win the competition for the starting job from Onana.
Luckily, Onana’s record isn’t great. He conceded 15 goals in six UEFA Champions League group games and 29 in the Premier League. With the Cameroon national team, he was humiliated. He conceded all three of his shots on target in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations group stage and lost his place in the starting lineup.
Bindre has a lot to prove. Bindre was brought in to fill the void left by Onana’s absence at the Africa Cup of Nations. If Bind performs well, he could push Onana out of the way and become the number one goalkeeper.
United fans are also excited. When Onana struggled during the season, some United fans suggested that Bind should be given the start. Will Bind be able to make the leap to first choice goalkeeper with a good debut?