It’s hard to think of another Manchester United player who has endured the type of roller coaster that Luke Shaw has experienced at Old Trafford. It seems like every time he settles in, and locks down the left back position, disaster strikes. He’s been extremely injury plagued and even had his commitment to the side and fitness/training publicly called into question.
Since moving over from Southampton in 2014, for a then record transfer fee for a teenager (£30 million), he’s made only 109 appearances in a total of five years. Now, after just being named the club’s player of the year last season, he’s fallen behind youngster Brandon Williams on the depth chart. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has informed the 24-year-old of his situation.
According to the Telegraph: “United had been planning to sign another left back in the January window as Solskjaer wanted Shaw to have some competition but has been delighted with the emergence of the 19-year-old Williams.”
And it is worth noting that indeed Williams has been a revelation thus far at United. The Daily Mail writes that Williams will be left back at home for tomorrow night’s Europa League clash at FC Astana. That means Luke Shaw will see major minutes, and feature for the first time since the end of August.
Manchester United vs FC Astana UEFA Europa League FYIs
MUFC Team News, starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Kickoff: Thursday Nov 28, 350 pm, Astana Arena
TV: BT Sport2
Prediction: United 1, FC Astana 0
United have kept a clean sheet the entire time in this competition. Facing a much weaker side, don’t expect that to change.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link.