Luke Shaw made his long-awaited return to action for Manchester United last weekend after another unfortunate setback in his injury-ridden career.
This time, it was a hamstring complaint that kept the Englishman out of action for over a month and prior to that, he missed 10 straight Premier League matches through a muscle issue from late August through to November.
Alas, Erik ten Hag will now be keeping his fingers crossed that Shaw can stay fit for the second half of the term as United look to close the gap on the top four and oversee a spirited FA Cup run. While not a positive overall, fewer fixtures in fewer competitions could aid the recent group of returning Reds after several months of the treatment room being packed to the brim.
Shaw, 28, featured for 82 minutes in the last outing as the side saw out a hard-fought 4-2 win over Newport County at Rodney Parade, and he’s expected to start again tonight against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Shaw lauded by MUTV pundit
Discussing his comeback on MUTV’s The Debate, pundit Ben Thornley voiced special praise for the defender, claiming: “I still believe when he’s on a consistent run of games he’s still the best left-back in the country.
“We saw his overlapping runs (against Newport). He brings a calmness, a touch of quality, he brings an attacking element as well. It was great to see the other players back and I know we will get more as the weeks go on, but for me, Luke Shaw was the one I was most impressed with and happy to see back.”
