Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will keep trying to persuade Edinson Cavani to stay after the veteran's man-of-the-match display against Roma put Manchester United on the brink of the Europa League final.
Having fallen at the semi-final stage of various competitions on four occasions over the last two seasons, the Red Devils took a giant stride towards the Gdansk showpiece by winning a 6-2 thriller on Thursday evening.
Roma had gone into half-time of the first leg ahead after Bruno Fernandes' fine opener was cancelled out by a Lorenzo Pellegrini penalty, before ex-Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko bundled them into the lead.
But Cavani fired home a stunning leveller early in the second half, before tapping home from close range.
The 34-year-old was then taken down for the penalty scored by Fernandes and, after Paul Pogba headed home, provided a superb pass for substitute Mason Greenwood to make it six.
"We want to go through, of course," Solskjaer said. "Good reaction at half-time
"I thought we played some good stuff in the first half as well but we forgot you have to run back as well and you have to run back quick.
"The second half we did that part better and of course that creates more opportunities to attack.
"Edinson was excellent, as a centre forward should be playing - running the channels, being a focal point, creating chances for others, scoring goals, missing a couple of chances as well. Absolutely delighted with him."
Cavani's future is subject of widespread speculation as the Uruguay internationals considers returning to South America after a challenging first season at Old Trafford.
The former Paris Saint-German striker signed on a one-season deal in October with an option for a further year, which Solskjaer has not given up on him taking up just yet.
"He was out for seven months and he'd not been playing football for a long, long time before he came to us," Solskjaer said.
"He's had his couple of injuries and he's now worked really hard to get back fit and he shows his qualities.
"He knows my feelings. He knows that I'd love to him for another year.
"We have spoken about it. I understand this year has been very difficult but I've promised him that Old Trafford and Manchester is a different place with our fans in the stadium.
"He must try to get that feeling, to be on our side. Manchester is a fantastic place to live.
"I'm doing my best so let's see. Of course nights like this, hopefully we can get to the final and hopefully he can see himself being here for another year."
Roma left the pitch crestfallen after their almighty collapse at Old Trafford, where their three first-half injuries took their toll in a dramatic first leg.
Head coach Paulo Fonseca said: "It's a heavy defeat. We had a good first half but we didn't exist in the second.
"It's difficult to explain how the same team that did so well in the first half had that kind of second half.
"It's hard to play against a side like United without having the substitutions (to make in the second half)."
Fonseca also felt the decision to award the penalty that made it 4-2 was key, claiming Solskjaer agreed that ex-United defender Chris Smalling's challenge on Cavani did not warrant a spot-kick.
"Even the Manchester United coach was very honest and didn't think it was a penalty either," the Roma boss said. "I really didn't think it as a penalty.
"It was a decisive moment in the game and it was tough to take."
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MO
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
BABYLON
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills