PSG confirms Cavani out of United UCL game
Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani scores the only goal from the penalty spot against Bordeaux during the French Ligue 1 game at Parc des Princes, Paris, on Saturday.
Edinson Cavani will sit out the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain's UEFA Champions League encounter with Manchester United, the club confirmed on Sunday saying the striker had sustained damage to a tendon in his hip.
PSG is already missing superstar striker Neymar, sidelined until at least April with a foot injury, while Manchester United has won 10 of its 11 games under new coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
French sports daily L'Equipe reported earlier on Sunday that a medical had revealed a torn right-thigh muscle for Cavani, but PSG reported shortly afterwards the problem was the right hip.
"The tests carried out have shown an injury in the right hip. The treatment and the amount of recovery time will depend on how he reacts over the next few days," PSG said on its website.
L'Equipe suggested Cavani, known as El Matador for his clinical finishing, would also miss the return leg on March 6.
Earlier on Sunday Tuchel described Cavani's situation, stemming from a fiercely converted penalty on Saturday, as bleak.
"There is no good news for Edi this morning, there are still examinations today at our training center, the club will speak a little later, but in my opinion the news is not going to be very good," Tuchel said.
"It will be very difficult for him to play."
The Uruguayan center-forward has scored 17 times in the French league and twice in the UCL this season.
PSG visits Old Trafford on Tuesday for the first leg of their encounter in the round-of-16, the stage at which the French champion went out in the last two seasons.
Cavani suffered what L'Equipe reported on Sunday as a torn thigh muscle, probably when blasting home the 42nd-minute penalty that gave PSG a 1-0 victory in Bordeaux. He did not play the second half.
Tuchel said there was good news for another of his key players, midfielder Marco Verratti who started against Bordeaux after three weeks out with an ankle problem.
"Verratti can play and will play," said the German coach.
"I'm worried because we are missing key players," said Tuchel. "For the big games in the Champions League, it is absolutely necessary to have key players with a lot of experience".
