Edinson Cavani finally returned to the pitch on Sunday for Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 win over Olympique de Marseille after a hip injury that kept him out of action since August 25.
PSG’s all-time leading scorer had been an unused substitute for the previous matches against OGC Nice and Club Brugge but with a comfortable lead over OM, Thomas Tuchel brought Cavani on in the 71st minute for Kylian Mbappé.
El Matador didn’t make a big impact on the game as it was pretty much decided when he came on. Tuchel had been trying to get Cavani some minutes to work his way back to full fitness but it appears as though the Uruguay international may have suffered another setback.
According to a report from Le Parisien, their sources indicated that Cavani still suffers from his hip injury, which is why Tuchel and the medical staff haven’t rushed him back to the starting lineup. His mounting injury list, as outlined per Transfermarkt, is worrying and it is the reason why Cavani hasn’t received a contract extension and is expected to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract runs out.
Another reason Cavani won’t likely be extended is because of the emergence of Mauro Icardi and the relatively reasonable fee (€70 million per Marca) it will cost PSG to sign the on-loan player permanently. Icardi scored a brace against Marseille and now has four Ligue 1 goals and three goals in the UEFA Champions League this season.
I still think Cavani has a lot to offer and could play a role for PSG later in the season. I think Tuchel and the medical team are correct in holding him back until he feels no pain in his hip. It may be frustrating for the player but it’s really the best thing for him at this point in the season.
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