Manchester United are in a mess at the moment, with their defensive issues getting coverage front and centre. Apart from the defensive problems, and the lacklustre midfield, the Red Devils may also have a problem up front. Anthony Martial had his best season in a Manchester United shirt last time around, scoring 23 goals and assisting 12 times in all competitions. The Frenchman was expected to kick on and grab more goals this season, but the season has got off in a less than impressive way for the 24-year-old.
Anthony Martial has yet to open his tally for the season and to make matters worse, he got sent off in the first half of the game against Tottenham Hotspur for a silly swipe at Erik Lamela. Lamela made the most of the light shove, but the Frenchman should’ve known better.
He will now be out for three games, but do Manchester United have a readymade replacement in former Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani? Not at the moment as the veteran striker has to self-isolate for 14 days as per the UK government’s COVID-19 protocols and will definitely miss the game against Newcastle United. There’s a big possibility that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not have Cavani or Anthony Martial for the next three league games, which will worry United fans as they have a few tough fixtures.
But, who should Solskjaer pick when both strikers are fit and ready?
The choice is a difficult one as Cavani has never played in the Premier League, and world-class players like him have shown that it usually takes a while to get used to the speed and tenacious nature of the Premier League. Manchester United themselves have witnessed this first hand as the likes of Angel di Maria and Falcao, both of whom joined the club with much fanfare, had terrible spells at the club and played just one season apiece at Old Trafford.
What makes it even more difficult for Cavani is that he hasn’t played a game in months, despite him looking in great shape. It may perhaps take him a while to get to full match fitness. With Manchester United already struggling in other areas of the pitch, it doesn’t make sense to disrupt the attack, which has looked the most settled area of the pitch for the Premier League side. Anthony Martial has perhaps done enough with his form in the 2019-20 season to get a string of games, and if the Frenchman does not contribute for an even longer run of games, then Solskjaer could try something different by replacing him with Cavani.
At the moment, Cavani should probably be a player that Solskjaer uses in cup games, and maybe even in the Champions League.