A new report has been revealed detailing what Luke Shaw has been doing during his time away as a fresh update on his Manchester United injury situation is issued.
Rúben Amorim’s men are heading into a challenging spell after the international break, while several Manchester United players have benefited from a chance to rest.
Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Højlund, and Matthijs de Ligt were all in action for their countries, but others like Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee stayed back, using the break to recharge and work on their fitness.
United are expected to return to training early next week. Those who weren’t on international duty will report back to Carrington in the coming days, with the rest expected to return by Thursday.
A busy schedule awaits, starting with a trip to Nottingham Forest on 1 April, followed by a Manchester Derby later in the week and a Europa League quarter-final tie against Olympique Lyonnais over two legs.
What Shaw has been doing while injured
United left-back Luke Shaw has not been part of a squad since playing 34 minutes in a 4-0 win over Everton at the beginning of December. Although the club initially stated he had suffered a “small setback”, he has since missed 16 further fixtures.
While the player was pictured back in first-team training at the end of January, it was only a few days before information filtered through that he was still suffering from an unspecified problem, with the player not spotted since and the only update coming a few weeks ago, when Amorim said Shaw would be back “soon.”
A fresh report from The Athletic has now revealed that Shaw has, in fact, instead been rehabilitating in Doha, Qatar, and working on his fitness in warm weather instead of Carrington.
Further, the article explains that “his return to the grass at Carrington is thought to be close”, which is no doubt a big boost for Amorim.
Where does Shaw play when he returns?
As has been found out by Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Tyrell Malacia, the demands of a wing-back are very different compared to a full-back.
Shaw has traditionally played as a left-back for the club, but with Amorim’s system containing wing-backs and three centre-backs, there is debate as to where Shaw could play once he returns to the first-team.
With Dorgu the club’s only first-team left wing-back, it is more likely that Shaw will be used as a back-up to the Danish international when needed, and instead thrive as a left centre-back instead.
Shaw’s physical gifts and ability with the ball at his feet make a perfect short-term replacement for the injured Lisandro Martínez, and having played a similar role in a back three at times under Erik ten Hag, this could be a perfect place for the England international to thrive upon his return.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.