In what came as no surprise to anyone involved at Manchester United, Luke Shaw was ruled out of the opening matches of the 2024/2025 campaign.
The club released a statement on Wednesday confirming that Shaw had sustained a calf injury during pre-season training, which is expected to keep him sidelined until after the first international break of the term.
Over the summer, the left-back travelled with the England squad to the Euros despite missing the final months – as well as the majority – of United’s season; he featured just 15 times in all competitions at club level in 2023/2024.
In Germany, Shaw made his first outing of the tournament at the quarter-finals stage, coming on as a substitute against Switzerland to make a 42-minute cameo. He proceeded to play the second half of the Three Lions’ semi-final win over the Netherlands and all of the subsequent final defeat to Spain.
Like the rest of United’s international players, he was granted an extended period to rest before resuming training with the squad at Carrington – and it didn’t take long for him to be rendered unavailable again.
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Two former Reds clash over Shaw’s commitment
Reacting to the news of Shaw’s setback, Peter Schmeichel weighed in: “Luke Shaw last played (for United) in February and yet he still went to the Euros. I think he played a little bit in the quarter-final, and then some of the semi-final and then he played the final.
“Now, he’s injured again. He’s so important. He’s got experience, and he’s a top-class left-back. He’s a Manchester United player – we pay him. He should be focusing and prioritising Manchester United and not his country.”
However, Nicky Butt has now spoken out to dismiss such a sentiment. He said of his former teammate’s comments on talkSPORT: “I think it’s a bit of a stupid comment, to be honest, from Pete that because literally wherever you play football, if you are a proper professional, you don’t prioritise your club or your country where you are going to be.
“And that might be Sunday to Sunday – a 10-day spin or a three-day spin. You put all your effort and all your energy into that, and you get back to your club and start again.”
