Real Madrid will have to prepare for Edinson Cavani
Edinson Cavani suffered an injury in late August against Toulouse, but he appears to be on the mend. Real Madrid will have to account for the possibility of Cavani returning for next week’s opening Champions League match.
While Real Madrid’s first game after the international break should be a relatively easy win against Levante, the rest of their September fixtures look extremely difficult. It all begins on Sept. 18 when Real open their Champions League campaign against PSG. Though PSG will miss an injured Kylian Mbappe and a suspended Neymar, they could have Edinson Cavani back in time for this key matchup between the top two teams in the group.
Cavani suffered a hip injury in a 4-0 Aug. 25 win in Ligue 1 against Toulouse, and he hasn’t featured since. But L’Equipe first reported the possibility of Cavani returning in time to face Real in mid-September, and now Le Parisien report that the possibility is even stronger.
Per Le Parisien, Cavani’s recovery has gone so well that he could play some minutes on Saturday against Strasbourg, which, like Real’s matchup against Levante, is something of a post-international break tune-up game for the marquee Champions League tilt.
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The pressure to play Cavani may be increased by Mbappe’s and Neymar’s absences, yet there is also less pressure to rush the key veteran attacker after PSG acquired Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan at the transfer deadline. Icardi is another world-class striker who can set up teammates and finish his own goals, but perhaps PSG could feature both superstars against a defense as imposing as Madrid’s.
Whichever striker Real must face, they have to be on their guard and prepare for Cavani. If Cavani looks sharp and is given a few minutes on Saturday in Ligue 1 play, then Real should fully expect him to be in the lineup. But if PSG hold him out, Real will still have to gameplan for Cavani, who remains one of the world’s most lethal strikers. More importantly, his hold-up play and intelligence are sublime, allowing him to cause maximal problems for even the best of defenses.