Andre Onana will return to the Manchester United starting lineup against Lyon in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Manchester United will aim to secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League semi-final when they welcome Lyon to Old Trafford in the quarter-final second leg on Thursday night. Ruben Amorim has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Joshua Zirkzee is the latest absentee after picking up a season-ending hamstring injury against Newcastle United this past weekend. The Dutch attacker has joined Matthijs de Ligt (foot), Ayden Heaven (ankle), Lisandro Martinez (knee), Toby Collyer (leg), and Amad Diallo (ankle) on the sidelines.

However, Jonny Evans has recovered from a lower back injury to resume training this week. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Amorim provided a fitness update on Zirkzee, confirming the Dutchman’s season-ending status. The Portuguese tactician also discussed the status of Evans and de Ligt.

The Manchester United manager said, “Joshua is out for the season. So he’s not going to play more this season. Let’s prepare him for the next one. It’s tough, especially in this moment. I think he’s improving in all aspects of the game, so it’s hard for any player to stop, but this is football and he has to be ready now to recover.”

“Matta [de Ligt] is going to return still this season. Ayden is out for this game, he had a small issue in the same spot during training, a contact with a team-mate. Jonny Evans is returning to the training but is not available for this game and some other players that we have to manage the minutes. Amad is not ready for this month but we hope to have Amad still for this season.”

Meanwhile, during his presser, Amorim confirmed who would start between the sticks on Thursday. The Manchester United boss said, “Onana will play tomorrow. I just think first of all as a coach, and also as a former player. 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.”

Andre Onana will return between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Lyon on Thursday. The central defensive unit will feature Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Leny Yoro. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu are automatic picks as the wing-backs.

As for the midfield unit, Casemiro should pair up with Manuel Ugarte in the middle of the park, with Kobbie Mainoo being an option on the bench. Finally, Rasmus Hojlund will lead the line for the home side against Lyon, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes providing creative support.

Predicted Manchester United XI: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu; Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund