Playing their first game in 16 days after coronavirus cases in the squad led to two games being postponed, United were outplayed in the first half and Allan Saint-Maximin gave the home side the lead in the seventh minute.

Cavani entered as a halftime substitute, injected some urgency and pressing into United's attacking play, and scored a 71st-minute equaliser by poking home a rebound after his initial shot was blocked.

Newcastle were denied victory at the death when Jacob Murphy's shot came back off the post and Miguel Almiron's follow-up was brilliantly saved by Red Devils goalkeeper David De Gea.

"We're very disappointed. We thought we deserved to win," Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

"I didn't think we deserved to concede, and we also created chances. How David De Gea saved that from Almiron at the end I don't know. I was right behind it.

"But hopefully we're seeing the beginnings of a new team and how we want to play."

The Magpies, still searching for their second win of the campaign, stay in 19th place while United missed a chance to go fifth with a display that showed there's plenty of work to do under recently hired manager Ralf Rangnick.

United, back playing after having games against Brighton and Brentford called off, were lucky to go to the break only one down. The visitors then saw Saint-Maximin squander a brilliant chance from close range in the 47th minute, mis-hitting a finish to allow De Gea to claw away the ball when he should have been well beaten.

From then on, the visitors had the better of the chances, with Uruguayan Cavani shooting wide with the goal at his mercy before eventually equalising at the second attempt after being picked out by Diogo Dalot's cross.

"In the end we got a point. That's the good thing but the performance overall needs to get better ... I didn't like it at all," United boss Rangnick said.

"It's all about energy, physicality and who wins the second balls in the transitional moments. In all those areas we were not at our best today.

"Even in the second half, we equalised and they had two or three players injured but we were not controlling the game. We were making wrong decisions in those moments and that is what it is all about."

With PA.

Australian Associated Press