Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Edinson Cavani that he must bide his time before securing regular starts for Manchester United.
The Uruguayan forward climbed off the bench and provided an assist for Bruno Fernandes in the 2-2 draw with Leicester on Boxing Day.
Three days earlier, Cavani played 90 minutes in the 2-0 win at Everton in the Carabao Cup, a game in which he scored the Red Devils’ first goal on 88 minutes to set them on their way to a place in the semi-finals.
United legend Paul Scholes questioned the decision to place Cavani on the bench, with the former England international of the opinion that Solskjaer should select his best XI for every game.
However, at 33 years of age and with United in the midst of a spell of six matches in 16 days, he may not have the legs to start in every game.
Solskjaer has said the former Paris Saint-Germain man will get his chances, but he must wait to secure regular starts.
“He has been out injured for a little while and played a full, physically-demanding game against Everton in midweek," Solskjaer said. “We decided to have him on the bench and he made an impact straight away, with a great pass for the goal.
“It will have to be that way for a while as he gets used to English football and the demands of this season, but he made a great impact here and he has made a big impact in the squad.”
Marcus Rashford netted his 50th Premier League goal for the club in the 2-2 draw at Leicester, and Solskjaer was full of praise for the player as a footballer and as a person.
The England international has dedicated a lot of time in 2020 to fighting for the disadvantaged and Solskjaer spoke in glowing terms of the 23-year-old.
“Both as a player and person he has been absolutely brilliant,” Solskjaer said of Rashford. “We are very proud of him as a person and a player. He was always a threat. We create chances for him and he creates them for others.”
Rashford appeared to damage his shoulder in a coming together with Harvey Barnes towards the end of the match at the King Power Stadium, and Solskjaer is hopeful it is not a serious concern.
“He felt his shoulder a bit after one of the Leicester players tugged his arm but hopefully it won’t be too bad as he completed a full sprint soon after that,” the United boss said.