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Manchester United team news: Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial ruled out of crunch RB Leipzig clash

Cavani and Martial were substituted during win at West Ham with minor muscle injuries

Mark Critchley
Northern Football Correspondent
Monday 07 December 2020 15:44 GMT
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Manchester United line-up vs Paris Saint-Germain
Manchester United line-up vs Paris Saint-Germain (Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial will not travel with Manchester United for Tuesday's crunch Champions League group stage trip to RB Leipzig.

United travel to Leipzig needing a point in order to qualify for the knock-out stages but know that defeat will see them finish third in Group H and drop into the Europa League.

Cavani and Martial were both substituted during Saturday's 3-1 comeback win at West Ham with minor muscle injuries which will prevent them from playing at the Red Bull Arena.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that the pair will stay at home at his pre-match press conference on Monday, but the United manager will welcome David de Gea and Luke Shaw back into his squad.

"David is back in travelling, Luke is travelling," Solskjaer said. "Edinson and Anthony, they’ve only got minor niggles but they won’t be making the trip."

Read more: Comedowns and comebacks, the madness of Manchester United

De Gea was rested against West Ham as a precaution after the injury that the United goalkeeper aggravated an injury suffered in last month’s win over Southampton.

Shaw, meanwhile, has not played since being forced off against Everton on 7 November with a hamstring injury.

As well as Cavani and Martial, United will be without midfielder Fred following his sending off in last week’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Solskjaer was nevertheless in a confident mood before flying out to Germany and insisted that his players will stand up and be counted on a make-or-break night.

“The players are here and are Man United players because they have qualities we look for and I’m sure tomorrow night will prove the reason why they are here, they will show it,” he 

"The character of the group is getting better and better and we’re looking forward to the game. It’s something that we want, games like this. It’s tradition for Man United, we never make it easy for ourselves. 

“We look at the games, especially the Istanbul away when we could have got three points, that’s just the way we do things we make it hard for ourselves that’s been ever since I played and that’s a long, long time ago.”

Manchester United travelling squad

Goalkeepers: De Gea, Henderson, Grant.

Defenders: Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Telles, Tuanzebe, Wan-Bissaka, Williams.

Midfielders: Fernandes, James, Lingard, Mata, Matic, McTominay, Pogba, Van de Beek.

Forwards: Ighalo, Greenwood, Rashford.

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