Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag claims Andre Onana is second best goalkeeper in Premier League

Erik ten Hag has thrown his backing behind beleaguered Manchester United No.1 Andre Onana, claiming he is the second best goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Onana was in calamitous form in United's midweek 3-3 Champions League draw with Galatasaray, where he was culpable for all three goals.

The 27-year-old joined United from Inter Milan for £47.2million in the summer and Onana has started in all 20 of the club's games this season. However, he is understood to be concerned about his place if he participates in the Africa Cup of Nations for Cameroon in the New Year.

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Ten Hag, who coached Onana at Ajax, is expected to start him against Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday evening and claimed stats prove he's the second best in the league.

"If you analyse it well then you see he is the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League based on stats," Ten Hag stressed. "His expected preventing goals is second-best in the Premier League.

"He's doing well but he knows that in the Champions League he has made some mistakes. But all over in the first five months, he has done well." Onana is second to Luton stopper Thomas Kaminski for goals prevented and he is also second for saves made, save percentage and goals prevented in the Premier League.

When asked if Onana's confidence was fragile, Ten Hag referred to how he responded to his glaring error in the 4-3 defeat at Bayern Munich in September. "You have seen how he is reacting on a bad performance like he did after Munich. At Burnley, he was outstanding.

"He is a strong character, he is a personality and he will deal with it."

United head to Newcastle in sixth and