The FA demand answers from Edinson Cavani over his 'Gracias negrito' Instagram post as he faces a lengthy ban - and Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits his striker will 'learn the hard way'
* Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani is in hot water after Instagram post
* He replied 'Gracias negrito' to a friend in a post which sparked a racism storm
* Cavani was quick to apologise but is waiting to hear if he faces FA punishment
* Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists there was no 'malicious intent' from striker
* The FA have asked Cavani for his observations as the investigation continues
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Edinson Cavani has learned a harsh lesson from his racism controversy, but is backing the Manchester United striker to be in the right frame of mind to face his old club Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
The FA have asked Cavani for his observations after he used the word 'negrito' in a social media post following his match-winning performance at Southampton on Sunday.
The Uruguay star, who faces a minimum three-match ban if charged, has until the end of the week to respond although he could ask for longer to give his version of events. Cavani deleted the message and apologised, insisting he did not know the word is offensive in this country.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (centre) has backed striker Edinson Cavani (right) amid his racism storm. Cavani apologised after replying 'Gracias negrito' to a friend on Instagram on Sunday night
The Cavani incident is set to lead to renewed calls for more routine education for players arriving from overseas, a move anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out and the PFA have long been advocating for.
The FA, PFA and KIO all deliver education and equality and diversity training to clubs but the Cavani case has highlighted again issues relating to cultural differences which can land players in hot water.
Solskjaer defended the 33-year-old on Tuesday and called for more diversity training for foreign players coming to England.
'We've communicated with Edinson and he's really deeply sorry for the mistake he's made,' said the United manager.
'There was no malicious intent at all. It was just an affectionate greeting to a friend of his, but we explained to him.
'He has been asked by the FA to explain so he'll co-operate with them, and we'll support him.
'It's one of those unfortunate situations where he's just come into the country and in Uruguay he's been using a different term of affection to what we have. So we support him and we support the FA.
'It's important the FA have asked him to explain and it's out there for everyone to see because we want to be in the fight against discrimination.
'I saw Gary Neville said something on maybe all players coming from different cultures should be educated, and I'm sure Edinson has learned the hard way.'
Solskjaer insisted there was no malicious intent from Cavani, who now awaits his fate by the FA. The post remained on Cavani's Instagram account for some time before it was deleted
Cavani is PSG's all-time top scorer but left the French club under a cloud before joining United as a free agent on deadline day in October.
He missed the first Group H game between the two clubs at Parc des Princes two weeks later because he was in quarantine, and is desperate to be involved in the return at Old Trafford tonight.
'Edinson is ready to play,' added Solskjaer. 'It's special for him to play against PSG. I know that will give him energy.
'He will work on his mindset today and tomorrow to be ready for the game. The same goes for the FA (issue). He's learned a lesson and it might affect him, but he'll just have to put it to one side when the game is on.
'The best players can put problems or thoughts away for a while and perform when they have to.'
A point will be enough for United to qualify for the knockout stage, and they could even be confirmed as group winners tonight depending on RB Leipzig's result against Istanbul Basaksehir.
'The quicker you can qualify the better,' said Solskjaer, who confirmed that goalkeeper David de Gea trained on Tuesday after going off with a knock in the 3-2 win at Southampton.
'The players all want to be there as you would expect when the Champions League nights come and floodlights are on, even though unfortunately the fans are not there,' he said.
'The training group today was a massive one and everyone has held their hand up and is available for selection.
'Our mindset is to win this game. We want to go out there with an attacking intent.'
Meanwhile, Solskjaer praised the former Napoli player for the impact he has had since joining United as a free agent on deadline day – and was even able to raise a smile by criticising Cavani's parking at the club's training ground.
'He's an absolute top pro,' said Solskjaer. 'I've not been able to get to know him really closely because of the language barrier. We have to speak through someone else.
'But he is so professional, so meticulous, everything he does he does with the intention of being the best footballer.
'He's a good team-mate, a good team player, and I've been impressed with everything apart from his parking! He parks too closely to the other players and staff sometimes.'
Reminded that he praised Cavani's Viking spirit before a game several years ago, the Norwegian added: 'We never give in, us Vikings. We've got the right attitude and right mentality.
'That was maybe not fair to Edinson but it was a compliment. I always look at players' mentality and ability to play and do well even though you don't have a perfect day.
'You know he's got talent. I could have spoken about predatory instincts but what I saw from him was ability to work for the team and be a team player.
'We've seen it here from the work-rate he puts down. He's top of the tree for running stats in the Premier League and he's 33, which says everything about his mentality.'
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9005585/Solskjaer-insists-no-malicious-intent-Cavani-called-friend-negrito.html