Edinson Cavani has revealed more details about the injury that kept him out of the recent Manchester derby and forced him out of Uruguay's plans for the international break.
The 34-year-old was omitted from Manchester United's squad for the game against City, which the visitors comfortably won 2-0 thanks to Eric Bailly's own goal and yet another Bernardo Silva strike at Old Trafford.
Cavani had started alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Tottenham the week before - netting his first Premier League goal of the season to help United cruise to a 3-0 win - but beleaguered United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed before kick-off against City that "we've had a couple of issues since Italy [United played Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday], Edi has been one of them."
The Uruguayan has now revealed that he's been struggling with a tendon injury for a number of months, telling local newspaper El Observador (via United's official site): “The issue was like this. Before starting the season, I had discomfort in the tendon.
“It made me spend a couple of weeks out until I began to gain some minutes [on the pitch] in my team. I had to go back to the national team, always with a bit of pain, but with the hope that it would disappear.
“It was improving but, after Tottenham, it started coming back.
Speaking about a potential return to action, Cavani added: “They are difficult injuries.
“And I decided to have the treatment so that it does not continue to get worse, and to recover as soon as possible to be fit for my team and the national team.”
United's players have two weeks to get their house in order, with the pressure mounting on the shoulders of Solskjaer. Watford are next up in the Premier League, and that's a game United's hierarchy may feel is must win for the Norwegian and his players - or the club run the risk of getting cut adrift from Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the table.
Cavani faces a race against time to be fit for it, having showed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that he still has plenty to offer United.
Source : 90min