Edinson Cavani looks set to miss Manchester United’s next Premier League match against Newcastle as he will still be quarantining, with the Uruguayan not meeting the criteria for elite athlete exemption.
The 33-year-old striker completed a move to Old Trafford on a free transfer on deadline day, having been a free agent since his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired several months ago.
While most new arrivals to the Premier League have been free to link up with their clubs immediately, Cavani’s situation is different because he has not been part of a secure bubble.
According to The Times, Cavani has been mixing with the general population of Paris for months and has not been getting regular testing in a secure environment, meaning government rules do apply to him.
United are still seeking clarification on the matter, but under current regulations Cavani – like anyone else arriving in the UK from France – will need to quarantine for 14 days.
He is currently doing so right now, with his period having begun on Sunday when he touched down in Manchester.
To exacerbate the problem further, Cavani will be unable to train at Carrington during that period and, having not played a competitive match since March, he will be severely lacking in match fitness and may need some time to get back up to speed.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would like to be able to call on Cavani despite his lack of game time recently, particularly with Anthony Martial suspended.
United’s usual frontman was sent off for violent conduct in the club’s heavy 6-1 defeat to Tottenham at the weekend and will miss the next three games, ruling him out of clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Cavani recently revealed that he and his partner had actually tested positive for coronavirus over a month ago after going on holiday to Ibiza with two of his old PSG teammates.
