Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has offered a positive fitness update, with the Uruguayan claiming to be “in good shape” after picking up a slight knock against Southampton.
The 33-year-old was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution after he had been among the goals in a game that finished 9-0 to the Red Devils, with his sixth effort of the season being a first at Old Trafford.
Cavani is pleased to be off the mark on home soil and has suggested that he could be line for more minutes against Everton on Saturday after shaking off an ankle complaint.
“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,” the former Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain frontman told United’s official website.
“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.
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“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!”
Cavani only saw 45 minutes against the Saints but the score was already 4-0 when he was replaced, with the visitors collecting the first of two red cards, and he believes another serious marker has been put down by the Premier League title hopefuls.
The South American added: “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.
“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.”