Rio Ferdinand has issued a major plea to one Manchester United star following his unexpected start and fantastic display against Arsenal.
Manchester United began their Premier League season with a loss to Arsenal, though Rúben Amorim’s team showed plenty of positives in their display.
Bryan Mbeumo caused early issues on the right, but Arsenal went ahead when Riccardo Calafiori met Declan Rice’s corner with a header.
United pushed back, with Matheus Cunha and Mbeumo both forcing saves from David Raya, yet the visitors kept their lead into half-time.
Amorim responded by sending on Amad for Diogo Dalot after 55 minutes, later introducing Benjamin Šeško and Manuel Ugarte to inject fresh energy.
United piled on the pressure late on, and Cunha was even fouled in the box by William Saliba, but Arsenal resisted to claim the win.
Rio issues plea to “phenomenal” Shaw
While United lost, there are plenty of positives to take from the game, with one being the performance from Luke Shaw. Despite many hoping Ayden Heaven would start, Shaw got the nod at left centre-back and performed well.
Shaw had 63 touches and played six passes into the final third, winning six of his eight duels and five recoveries across his 80 minutes, only being dribbled past once despite playing against the dangerous Bukahyo Saka.
In reaction to Shaw’s display, United legend and former centre-back Rio Ferdinand issued a plea to the “phenomenal” England defender, asking him to stay fit.
Luke Shaw, please stay fit. I’m begging you, please, man. Luke Shaw, please stay fit,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.
“The kid, he’s just a phenomenal player, but he’s been ravaged by injuries over the years, and he just, everything just looks at ease with him when he’s there. The way he plays, the way he moves, the way he passes, a huge asset.”
Amorim unlikely to have major injuries this season
Last campaign, every time Amorim was able to build momentum, it felt as if he was hit with a significant injury problem, with LIsandro Martínez, Joshua Zirkzee, and Leny Yoro some of whom faced significant bouts out of the squad.
However, with United playing no European football and having just one Premier League game a week, with domestic cup fixtures interspersed between, United’s players, notably Shaw, will have significantly more time to rest and recover from games, thereby reducing the risk of injury.
If Shaw can stay fit, there is little doubt that he can become a game-changer for United. While Martínez and Heaven will no doubt rival him for a place in the starting XI, his abilities to be so comfortable both as a centre-back but also on the left flank give him a unique blend of qualities for Amorim to use.
There is also a similar case to be made for Mason Mount. The English midfielder was fantastic against Arsenal, and really proved why Amorim is so fond of him.
Mount has suffered significant injury issues since joining United, but if he can get back up to scratch and stay fit, he can be another dangerous player at the head coach’s disposal.
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