Solskjaer: Cavani didn't feel ready to play against PSG

BetOdds PSG v Manchester United UEFA Champions League Edinson Cavani PSG Manchester United

The striker will not face his former team as he joins several Manchester United regulars in missing out

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that Edinson Cavani "didn't feel ready" to play in Manchester United's Champions League opener against his former club Paris Saint-Germain.

United are set to take on last season's runners-up at the Parc de Princes on Tuesday, with the Red Devils riding high following a 4-1 win over Newcastle this past weekend.

Former PSG star Cavani made the move to Old Trafford this summer, having left the club following seven seasons in Ligue 1.

However, Cavani did not take part in PSG's return to play after Ligue 1 was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic as he missed out on the club's run to the Champions League finale.

As a result, the Uruguayan star has not played since March as he's now looking to push towards match fitness after recently completing his move to Manchester United.

Cavani has only had a few days of training with his new team-mates due to a mandatory quarantine period upon arriving in the country and he has not yet appeared for his new team.

With that in mind, Solskjaer says that Cavani will postpone his debut a bit as he will continue to train instead of making his first United appearance against his longtime club.

"We wanted him to be there too, but he went without playing for a long time," Solskjaer told RMC Sport.

"We thought it was better for him to continue training. To better prepare. Edi knows what he wants and what he needs. He didn't feel ready enough."

Cavani will be one of several United stars to miss out, as Harry Maguire, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard and Eric Bailly will not feature.

Maguire's absence leaves Bruno Fernandes as captain, and the Portuguese midfielder says he understands why Cavani is not quite ready to jump into the team.

"It’s normal that he isn’t here, with only two days of training he needs to feel better," he said. "He's settled down well. We did only one training session together. He likes to train hard.

"He has qualities to be a leader for us, the way he trains. He's going to be important to us."

2020-10-19 23:00:06

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