Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick confirmed Edinson Cavani is available for selection after returning to training.
Cavani’s late return from Uruguay’s international fixture meant he had been unavailable for the FA Cup tie on Friday night.
United travel to Burnley tonight for the 8pm kick-off, and Cavani should be in contention to start.
The 4-3-3 formation currently favoured by Rangnick means that unless Cavani starts on the wing, then it is a straight choice between him and Cristiano Ronaldo. Here is a look at three reasons why the Uruguayan should get the nod…
Cavani will embrace the physical test
Cavani led the line away at Burnley last season and got stuck in. He is well coursed in the the type of physical battle which lies ahead and will not shirk it, instead he will embrace it.
Burnley’s defenders won’t enjoy playing against Cavani. His combination of movement and physicality will test them all night and wear them down.
Ronaldo has been there and done it too, but United don’t have to play him. Of the two forwards, this is more of a Cavani game than it is Ronaldo, and Ralf Rangnick should simply pick the player better suited to the fixture.
He is fresher than Ronaldo
Another major factor in Cavani’s favour is his freshness. Ronaldo played 120 minutes just five days ago, while Cavani did not.
Even with his game in South America last week, Cavani is ready to go. Rangnick told a press conference the striker has been ‘training well’.
Cavani has also scored more recently than Ronaldo, netting for Uruguay last week. Ronaldo’s last goal came in December.
It is also worth planning ahead for United’s next game, at home to Southampton. Ronaldo will probably start that home fixture, so instead of asking the 36-year-old to start three games in nine days, why not rotate and bring Cavani in for this one?
Ronaldo’s performance was not good enough
Let’s be quite blunt, Cristiano Ronaldo was not good enough against Middlesbrough. His missed penalty in the first half proved to be costly, and he was not clinical when he needed to be.
Ronaldo is yet to net in 2022 and he knows it. His run without a goal is affecting his game, he is clearly not relaxed and is too desperate to score.
Rangnick has struggled to get Ronaldo to click, he has just two goals under the German so far, and his performance against Middlesbrough was arguably his worst since he returned to the club.
Instead of expecting a miracle from him every week, United should drop Ronaldo for his own sake, and send a message. No player should be guaranteed a spot, and Cavani is equally as deserving of opportunities.
- Who is Dante Plunkett? Man Utd youngster earns call-up for 2026 CONCACAF U20 Championship
- Alex Scott will achieve a childhood dream if he signs for Man United this summer
- Marcus Rashford cannot be Man United’s No.9, fans have seen that experiment fail already
- Man Utd squad for Super Cup NI announced – Five academy players to watch and key dates
- How Man Utd replaced Ed Woodward’s commercial vanity with football sanity in the transfer market
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
