Manchester United host Paris Saint-Germain Tuesday night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. This knockout round clash has been highly anticipated for a very long time, so there are numerous news angles to cover today. Let’s dive right in, starting with the latest on PSG striker Edinson Cavani.
The 31-year-old limped off of PSG’s 1-0 win over Bordeaux yesterday due to a thigh problem. The Uruguayan, who provided the only scoring in the Saturday clash, has been all but ruled out versus United.
“The examinations carried out revealed a lesion of a tendon on the right hip,” a club statement on Cavani’s injury reads.
“The treatment and the duration of unavailability will depend on the recovery in the coming days.”
PSG Manager Thomas Tuchel said today that it would be “very difficult” for Cavani to feature in mid-week.
“There is no good news this morning,” he said. “Edinson has undergone exams and there will be more tests here at the training centre. My feeling is that it will be very difficult for him to feature in Manchester.”
“In any case, we must wait a bit more as the exams are still ongoing. The club will communicate on this a bit later. I think that the news will not be very good. I still have a little hope, but the first tests were not good.”
#Téléfoot
Thomas Tuchel : "Je pense que les nouvelles pour Edinson Cavani ne seront pas bonnes… Il reste un très petit espoir…" pic.twitter.com/EVuNpwSbZP— Téléfoot (@telefoot_TF1) February 10, 2019
Paris Saint-Germain at Manchester United UCL FYIs
Kickoff: Tuesday, February 12, 8pm, Old Trafford
Odds via Betfair: United 31/20, Draw 5/2, PSG 17/10
Injury Report: go to this link
MUFC Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
-Paris goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes neither team are the true favorites in this one. He sees them as even steven, 50/50, a proverbial pick’em.
“I think we need to improve in terms of the mentality, the attitude and the spirit of sacrifice for the team,” the Italian shot stopper told reporters.
“On Tuesday, a very important game is waiting for us. We have to have a great game. Our game against Manchester United needs to be beefier, stronger, with a different attitude. No [we are not favorites], I think we are tied, it’s 50/50.”
Speaking of stellar goalkeepers, the man who will be in between the sticks at the opposite end, David de Gea, had extensive praise for his teammate Paul Pogba (yesterday’s man of the match). He also deemed another teammate, Anthony Martial, unstoppable.
De Gea said to Telefoot (hat tip Metro): “Honestly, we have a team that could win something, with young players who are very ambitious like Paul, who is young but has a lot of experience and is fundamental for us.”
“There is also Martial who is unstoppable at the moment in one-on-ones. He is fundamental for our team.”
“We will fight to go all the way to final but first we must eliminate PSG. Then, we will see.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.