Edinson Cavani could make his Manchester United debut against former club Paris St Germain after the Premier League giants confirmed quarantine regulations mean the Uruguayan is unavailable for the weekend trip to Newcastle.
Following his exit from PSG in June, Cavani joined United on a free transfer on deadline day and went into self-isolation for a 14-day period after arriving from France on 4 October.
It had been anticipated that coronavirus guidelines would lead to Cavani missing out at St James’ Park on Saturday and United revealed the 33-year-old’s earliest availability is the Champions League clash at PSG next Tuesday.
📋 Ole will have a key decision to make for who leads the line at Newcastle on Saturday… 🛣️#MUFC #NEWMUN
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 13, 2020
However, given Cavani is unable to train with his new teammates until the day before the visit to the French capital, his readiness for the fixture is open to debate.
A United statement said: ‘Cavani is being forced to self-isolate due to the Covid-19 guidelines, following his arrival in the country from France, which means he is unable to make his debut at St James’ Park.
‘The Uruguay international will be free to play against his former club Paris St Germain in the Champions League, though, if deemed fit and ready for action.’
El tiempo no para 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️
The clock does not stop 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/6n90dR1Iej— Edi Cavani Official (@ECavaniOfficial) October 8, 2020
The striker, who signed a 12-month deal at United with the option to extend for a further year, helped PSG to six Ligue 1 titles between 2013 and 2020 and is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 200 goals in 301 matches.
United also confirmed Cavani’s fellow forward, Anthony Martial, is out of the game at Newcastle, with the Frenchman starting a three-match ban for his dismissal in the 6-1 loss against Tottenham before the international break.