Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted that Edinson Cavani will be offered a new contract “in the near future”. The Uruguayan striker has bagged seven goals and added two assists in all competitions this term and has provided Solskjaer with another outlet up front.
United have a one-year option on Cavani's contract, which would otherwise expire this summer. But Solskjaer has suggested that talks over that extra year could begin very soon.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of United’s home game against Newcastle on Sunday, Solskjaer explained: “I can only say Edinson has done well. I have been impressed with him, he has really gelled with the group. We will sit down with him and speak with him of course in the near future to see his plans and our plans, it is a good discussion. We always speak to players, and with his contract situation at the moment we are very pleased with what he has done.”
After an impressive 4-0 away win over Real Sociedad in the Europa League in Turin on Thursday night, Solskjaer also provided an injury update on his squad, who have just two days to prepare for the game against former United captain Steve Bruce and his Newcastle side.
“Paul [Pogba] is out, Phil [Jones] is out. I don't know how Scott [McTominay] is and I don’t know how Edinson will be either. They’ve got a chance, I think. We just have to give them until before training Saturday because on Saturday we need to pick a team. So we will see how they are, hopefully they can both be available.”
Daniel James, Alex Telles, Eric Bailly and Mason Greenwood all impressed having been given starts on Thursday, while goalkeeper Dean Henderson kept the pressure on current number one David de Gea with another clean sheet.
“Of course Dean is in with a shout, we pick a team Saturday. Dean was very solid [on Thursday], good kicking, could’ve had an assist for Marcus, which is another thing we worked on. He was clean with his handling, clean with his short passes, good performance, he is maturing all the time.
“But I have a very very good goalkeeper as well in David de Gea and he saved us against West Brom. I can’t say to you now, I always speak to the players first before I say who is not playing so they will know.”
Meanwhile Solskjaer added that he has been working with Marcus Rashford in training in a bid to help the England forward to convert the sort of chances which came his way against Sociedad on Thursday.
“He is getting better and better and closer and closer, he is improving all the time,” Solskjaer said of Rashford. “Of course the chances that he got, he gets because of his athleticism, his movement, and he was strong to hold him off the first one. That was a hard one.
“The second one the keeper came out, that is another one we are working on, we had loads of practice on that on Wednesday actually. But he is improving. I can see, he knows what we want him to improve on. But the goal he scored was a very good example of composure and technical quality.”
