Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial have been ruled out of Manchester United’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig with niggles.
Both players came off in the second half of United’s comeback win against West Ham in the league at the weekend and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed they would not be making the trip to Germany for the crucial final group stage game.
“David (de Gea) is back and travelling, Luke (Shaw) is travelling, Edinson (Cavani) and Anthony (Martial) only minor niggles but they won’t be making the trip,” Solskjaer said.
“Of course, get to the last game of the group stage and you’re in the next round if you win or get a draw so it’s an important game, of course it is.”
United travel to Germany for Tuesday night’s game needing just one point to send them through into the knockout rounds. They beat Julian Nagelsmann’s side 5-0 in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in October but, despite that convincing victory, Solskjaer knows it will be a tough test.
“It’s a game we will remember fondly because we did many things right,” Solskjaer explained.
“We need to do lots of things right again, we should also correct a few wrongs, we know Leipzig well enough to know they’re unpredictable in their shape and system but, we know the players and the style they play in so we know it’s going to be a tough game and we need to be at our best to get a good result.”
But, despite being in a position where just a point is needed, Solskjaer joked that it could be a dramatic evening.
His side have come behind to get a result in their first five Premier League away games of the season and said it is ‘typical’ of the club to make things difficult for themselves.
“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,” the United manager said.
“It’s tradition for Manchester United, we never make it easy for ourselves, we look at the games, especially the Istanbul away game when we could have got three points, that’s just the way we do things.
"We make it hard for ourselves. It’s been like that ever since I played, and that’s a long time ago.”
