Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani returned to training on Wednesday after his extended summer break.
The veteran striker had had a longer holiday after his partner gave birth to his fourth child earlier this summer, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær wanting to give Cavani as much time as possible to be with his family.
Cavani also participated in the Copa America / Buda Mendes / Getty Images
After the new signing Jadon Sancho joined the squad, Cavani was the only United player who has not yet returned, with Jonathan Shrager reporting that the Uruguay national team player was scheduled to return to England on Thursday.
There was some confusion about when he would be able to train due to quarantine rules. Uruguay is on the UK’s red list, which normally means that everyone traveling from there must undergo a ten-day isolation period at a specialist hotel.
Cavani missed the start of the season against Leeds on Saturday, a game in which United walked to an emphatic 5-1 victory. However, he may be involved against Southampton on August 22 as he is now back in training.
The news is a boost for United as Cavani last time had a fantastic debut in the Premier League season and registered ten goals and four assists.
Cavani’s impending return leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjær with several difficult decisions to make. United started the Leeds game with a front line by Daniel James, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba with Sancho limited to a cameo appearance from the bench.
In addition to Cavani, Anthony Martial is also in contention and Marcus Rashford will also return when he has recovered from shoulder surgery.
In addition to Rashford and left-back Alex Telles who have ankle problems, Solskjaer has close to a full squad to choose from for the Southampton game. United will hope for a repeat of their meeting last season, when they ran for a 9-0 victory after an early red card for Alex Jankewitz.
