Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed Edinson Cavani will not be rushed back for Thursday's Premier League clash with bottom side Sheffield United, keeping in mind the hectic end-of-year schedule.
The Uruguayan striker, 33, returned to training after missing the past two games due to a muscle injury he suffered against West Ham on December 5.
"Edinson has done well in rehab but we still have to make the decision if we should risk him because it would be a risk," Solskjaer said on Wednesday.
"I doubt he will be available tomorrow. We have to be mindful of little strains and niggles."
Solskjaer has been constantly mentioned as being at risk of losing his job, most recently after last week's Champions League exit.
However, a win over Sheffield United would see them leapfrog Chelsea and Manchester City after both of them dropped points on Tuesday.
They also have a game in hand on those above them – they are only five points off the top of the table duo Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool – but face a manic series of six games in just over two weeks.
Solksjaer says the inconsistent set of results will be a feature of the season due to all the teams having so many fixtures crammed into a shorter space of time.
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Manchester United v Manchester City ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea, 6 - Saved from Mahrez in first half and had little to do in the second as his defence kept City at a distance. Easy late stop from compatriot Rodri. Clean sheet. Needed it. EPA -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 7 - Work cut out more than other United defenders and positioning not best. Improved in second half and controlled in checking Sterling. PA -
Harry Maguire, 7 - Won three derbies since he joined United. Late yellow for a foul on Gabriel Jesus as he tired, but concentrated well, blocked and cajoled those around him effectively. EPA -
Victor Lindelof, 7 - Won header off corner and solid alongside Maguire. More touches than any of his teammates – rare for a central defender. Game was like a 92 minute training session where United defended well throughout and contained City. EPA -
Luke Shaw, 7 - Strong in tackles, presence at corners where United were a threat. Back to his high pre-injury level quickly after his return. Good game. AP -
Fred, 6 - Took an early knock and had to be on his game against City’s best player De Bruyne, but performed and made a couple of nice turns. Reuters -
Scott McTominay, 7 - Combative throughout. Danger at far post early on. Disciplined, involved. Not as dramatic as his last derby when he scored – but then the game wasn’t. EPA -
Paul Pogba, 6 - Started left on diamond. Won headers, some neat play but also lost possession. Moved central later on. Far fewer touches than the other midfielders. EPA -
Bruno Fernandes, 6 - Found it difficult to get in game, lost possession a couple of times as tried to create. Late turn and shot on goal, but easy save for Ederson. Then shot wide as he went for glory. EPA -
Mason Greenwood, 5 - Bits of action and did little wrong, but little service as his team had less of the ball. Getty -
Marcus Rashford, 5 - Offside before winning a penalty. Timing with Greenwood could be better. Lashed a Pogba pass wide. More movement and intelligence from Rashford and Greenwood and United could have taken game. EPA -
SUB: Anthony Martial, 5 - On for Greenwood 74 and went to central striker. Clever ball forward towards Rashford but led to nothing. Fouled by Fernandinho as he broke away. Reuters -
MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson, 5 – His distribution was unusually wayward, with many passes out from the back going straight to United players. Was scarcely called upon to make a save. AFP -
Kyle Walker, 6 – Very nearly conceded a penalty for a foul on Marcus Rashford. Fortunately for the England defender, VAR ruled it out for an offside infringement. PA -
John Stones, 7 – Looked relatively comfortable in the heart of the City defence. Made a handful of well-timed blocks. AP -
Ruben Dias, 6 – Was caught out positionally several times, with United’s fast counter attacks putting the Portuguese star under some pressure. That aside, his distribution remained solid throughout. PA -
Joao Cancelo, 6 – Provided decent width going forward, but his final ball often lacked conviction. City needed more from its Wing backs tonight. Getty -
Rodri, 5 – Gave away possession too easily, often leading to silly fouls as he attempted to atone for his errors. The 24-year-old’s underwhelming display pretty much summed up City’s evening. AFP -
Fernandinho, 6 – Passed the ball nicely in the middle of the park, while also managing to prevent a number of promising United counters. PA -
Kevin De Bruyne, 7 – The best player on the pitch in the first half – by some distance. His quality was obvious from the outset, and on another occasion, he might have had a few assists to his name. Reuters -
Riyad Mahrez, 7 – Started the match very brightly. While much of his good work went to waste, he did present excellent opportunities to teammates with a number of fine through balls and indirect free kicks. EPA -
Raheem Sterling, 6 – Posed a real threat in the first half, with dangerous movement and direct running. However, as was the case with many of his teammates, the end product wasn’t quite there. Reuters -
Gabriel Jesus, 6 – Cut an isolated figure at times. In the absence of genuine creativity or link-up play, the Brazilian forward had to feed off scraps. Getty -
SUB: Ferran Torres, 6 – Struggled to get into the game, with the away side’s attack looking somewhat blunted after his introduction. AFP
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The present season started a month later than planned due to the coronavirus pandemic, which halted the campaign last term for three months.
"With the tight schedule all around the world, I think we will see throughout the season whoever gets a midweek rest might get a big advantage," he said.
"If you are playing midweek every week it is hard to have everyone 100 per cent sharp."
Meanwhile, Solskjaer said he sympathised with Slaven Bilic after the Croatian was sacked by West Bromwich Albion and stressed on the need for clubs to think about long-term continuity rather than instant results.
"I think these times in a pandemic and what's happened has made everyone sit back and think... I'm very sad to hear Slaven has lost his job. He did a great job getting them promotion," Solskjaer said.
"I've known him for years and I'm sure he'll get a job again.
"Hopefully more and more clubs will think long term. It's a short term business and you need short term results, but everyone knows that continuity is the key to success and sometimes they don't have the patience for it."
