Sunday’s match at Tottenham could go some way towards indicating who Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will favour at centre forward for the remainder of the season.
It could also have a major say on whether Edinson Cavani stays at the club beyond this summer.
Anthony Martial’s injury, which Solskjaer fears could see the Frenchman miss the rest of the campaign, resulted in Cavani being brought in to start against Brighton last weekend.
However, after drawing a blank in a match where Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford scored, the Uruguayan was once more on the bench at Granada on Thursday.
Greenwood started that Europa League win up front, and while a concern over Rashford’s fitness could force Solskjaer’s hand away to Spurs, it appears Martial’s absence has not guaranteed Cavani a place in the starting XI.
It typifies what has been a stop-start season for the Uruguayan. A variety of injuries, as well as a suspension for a social media post, have contributed towards his patchy season at United so far.
“I watched him against Brighton and he didn’t look very sharp,” The United Stand’s Mark Goldbridge tells i. “There’s going to be issues with sharpness due to his injury history. I was quite anti signing him because he gets a lot of them, he can’t play three games a week, and everyone’s doing that this season.
“I think he’s more aware of his body than anybody, but I think starting against Spurs is very important. In the big games I think he’d expect to start, and I think he still does because Solskjaer likes that No 9. I think game-time will be fine, but it’s more about whether he can stay fit.”
In the Premier League, Cavani’s best run in the side is four straight games, while with six goals he currently trails Bruno Fernandes (16) and Rashford (10) in that department.
In terms of minutes per goal, Cavani actually boasts a better rate (one every 210 minutes) than Martial (one every 346 minutes), but the fact United’s two No 9s are behind Rashford and Fernandes for goals scored is no surprise to those who watch them regularly.
“He has contributed to this season, but I wonder how happy he is,” Goldbridge adds. “The No 9 shirt for United, I call it the graveyard shift, it should be a dream but you get absolutely no service.
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“Seeing Cavani play the last two games, around 120 minutes, he’s not had a chance at all and that probably plays on your mind as a No 9, running around putting a lot of effort in but not getting any service – I would imagine that’s a factor as well.
“We’re linked with Erling Haaland, but United’s problem isn’t the No 9, it’s the service to the No 9. I don’t think Cavani has had a bad season, there’s just not a lot of service. It’s not forthcoming because we’re not playing that brand of football. We don’t get many chances.”
Is Cavani Boca bound?
Solskjaer insists Cavani does have a role over the campaign’s final weeks, but the forward has still not decided what he will do thereafter.
After joining as a free agent in October, the one-year deal he signed has the option for a further 12 months, but reports suggest that while the club are interested in extending his stay, the player is not so certain.
According to ESPN, a move to Boca Juniors is closer than ever. Cavani feels “very loved” in Manchester, a source told the website, but the lure of South America could see the player return to his native continent.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has also talked up the prospect of Cavani joining him at Boca.
Rojo told ESPN Argentina: “Yes, I spoke with him, I speak with him a lot. We haven’t been together for long in Manchester, only four or five months, but he’s a great person, and let’s hope for a second connection.
“When I came here, he always asked me if I was good, how I was getting on, because we didn’t see each other during the last period in England.
“It’s important that great players such as Cavani, who is a historic player for Uruguay and played in lots of important clubs, want to come and play for Boca. I think that speaks very well for the club, and for Argentinian football.”
Rojo’s comments come a month after Cavani’s father said his son was “leaning towards” a return to South America.
“There’s a 60 per cent chance of Edinson coming to South America. We’re very excited,” Luis told Argentinian broadcaster TYC Sports.
“We’ve spoken to Edinson and he’s always leant towards Boca Juniors because he’s had so many conversations with [manager Juan Roman] Riquelme about it. I know he’d like to play and be nearer to his home country so that we can all be in closer proximity.
“I think Boca might be the place where Edinson finishes his career and feels comfortable.”
It would appear, then, that Cavani’s future is in his own hands. What part the next two months play in his decision, only time will tell.
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