How is Edinson doing?
Edinson Cavani says he is "feeling in good shape fitness-wise" and he has spoken of his delight at scoring his first Manchester United goal inside "the beautiful stadium that is Old Trafford".
Our no.7 suffered a knock to his ankle in the 9-0 victory over Southampton on Tuesday night and was taken off at the break as a precaution having netted his first Old Trafford goal.
We spoke to the 33-year-old ahead of the Saturday night fixture against the Toffees and he had positive news about his fitness and was delighted with his maiden OT strike.
"I’m feeling in good shape fitness-wise and, as I wrote on social media, I was very happy and pleased to have finally scored my first goal in the beautiful stadium that is Old Trafford," he told us.
"As we all will know, I would genuinely have loved the supporters to have been in the stadium to enjoy the moment, but that’s just how the circumstances are right now and dictated how it had to be.
"That first goal had been proving to be a bit elusive, with the post intervening on one occasion and the ball just not wanting to go in on another. But after a lot of effort, commitment and desire to succeed, the goal finally came and I was really happy, I really was!"
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ArticleThe upcoming edition reflects poignantly on the Munich Air Disaster, with the 63rd anniversary this Saturday.
Even amid all he has achieved in the game, Cavani admits Tuesday night's result is one that will live long in the memory and he revealed that he had a sense at kick-off that the Reds really meant business.
"I think that right from the start of the game, you could almost breathe it in the air that the team were in decent nick," he explained. "Then when the Southampton player was sent off, that definitely opened up a bit more space for us. Although huge credit should also go to the team for how well we worked and moved the ball around to pick just the right time to attack.
"We managed to score the goals which made things more comfortable and allowed us to manage the game in a different way. Then for the second half I got to watch the game from the stands and follow closely just how the team was functioning as a unit. It’s always very pleasing and makes you happy to see everything flowing and working so nicely, and things going to plan.
"Throughout my career so far, I’ve seen games like this, and I’ve featured in one or two goal fests. There was one game I was involved in at PSG, against Troyes, where we won, I think it was either nine or 10-0. These are the things that football throws up from time to time. Things that you get the chance to experience and which surely remain etched in your memory as a sportsperson."
Saturday's match against Everton falls, of course, on an extremely poignant occasion for the Reds - the Munich anniversary.
It will be 63 years since that fateful crash in Germany which resulted in 23 people losing their lives. Cavani is well aware of the importance of the date - 6 February - to everyone at United and he hopes the team can mark it in a positive way on the pitch.
"Yes, I’ve always known about the history of what happened. Today it’s my turn to be at this club, and to wear this shirt with pride, just as those players were also part of the club at that time," he said.
"It’s a vital game for us given the circumstances of the league table just now, but more especially, because it’s an important date for this club and for this team.
"We hope we can do justice to the occasion by playing well and are able to provide a victory for the relatives and families of those people who were involved in the tragedy."