How Edinson Cavani feels about Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd challenge amid 'unhappy' claim
Edinson Cavani has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United following Cristiano Ronaldo's return.
Posted Saturday, September 18, 2021 by Express.co.uk
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secured a shock return to Old Trafford for Cristiano Ronaldo this summer as he continues to build a squad capable of competing for Premier League and Champions League honours. But that transfer has seen Edinson Cavani slip down the Red Devils pecking order.
Ronaldo has been his usual self since returning to the club where he made his name and struck a brace on his second debut for the team last weekend.
The 36-year-old was thrown straight into the starting line-up for United’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United and helped his side to a 4-1 victory.
He backed that up with another goal in midweek but his effort couldn’t prevent Man Utd slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Young Boys in the Champions League.
Such was the significance of Ronaldo’s return, that the forward took the number seven shirt straight off Cavani after arriving back in Manchester.
Cavani missed the start of the season before appearing from the bench in his side’s 1-0 win over Wolves last month.
Edinson Cavani has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United
But the 34-year-old injured himself in a friendly against Stoke during the international break and has only just returned to training.
One man who thinks Cavani will be unhappy that Ronaldo has signed for United is former striker Dimitar Berbatov.
“Cavani is not happy,” Berbatov said this week.
“He had a great first season at United and now see how his role has dropped and he's lost the number seven.
“I hope Ole has had an honest conversation with Cavani about his plans for the team.
“As a player in this situation you understand that the coach's job is to choose the best team.
“But you always want to play and feel unhappy when you don't and they leave you out.”
Sources close to Cavani, however, have dismissed Berbatov’s words and say that Ronaldo’s presence ‘isn’t an intimidating factor,’ according to ESPN Brasil.
Cavani is in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford and isn’t expected to push for a move away during the current campaign.
The sources claim that it is only ‘a matter of time’ before the Uruguay international is restored to the United line-up.
Cavani won’t be ready to face West Ham on Sunday but could be fit to line-up against the Hammers in the Carabao Cup three days later.
“Edinson hopefully will start training with us after the weekend,” Solskjaer said this week.
“Hopefully, maybe Monday. Maybe he’ll be involved on Wednesday because he had a fantastic season last season.”
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