Manchester United ended their season with a FA Cup triumph, but it was still a very down season given a.) the eighth place finish in the league and b.) the injury crisis that consumed the squad for the entire season. No specific position felt this as hard as left back, where Luke Shaw, once again, missed a majority of the season. His back-up, Tyrell Malacia missed the entire campaign and never even trained.
However, we now have updates on both. Let’s start with Luke Shaw, who reported early to England camp, after missing the final three months of the season with a thigh muscle injury.
According to Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate, the 28-year-old fullback, who is United’s longest serving player, still has a chance of making the squad for Euro 2024, but faces a race against the clock.
“He’s progressing very well, I have to say,” Southgate told TalkSport.
“I think I said last week that until we had the players in front of us working with us, there was a lot of information that we didn’t have. We’re pleased with how he’s progressing. There’s still a bit to do before he can get on the pitch in a game situation.
“But really pleased with the work he’s doing with our physical performance team and our medics, so, yeah, he’s in with a good chance.”
Shaw has been terrific for United, when healthy, over the course of his career. Even won the club’s player of the year award a couple years ago. However, he consistently misses large chunks of every season, and manager Erik ten Hag thinks it is because of that horrific double leg break that he suffered in a UEFA Champions League group stage game at PSV Eindhoven in 2015.
The injury was so gruesome that it actually went viral online. Shaw suffered a broken tibia and fibula, and there were fears that he might have to actually amputate his leg.
Said Ten Hag to the Mirror: “Luke Shaw is the best left-back in the world, he is so good. But he had a very serious injury at the beginning of his career. As a result, he will never be able to play 60 games in a year.”
As for Malacia, he was so M.I.A. this season that his disappearance became a running joke among United supporters on social media.
“Malacia hasn’t played a minute all season,” said Ten Hag.
“He hasn’t even been on the training pitch once. We had recruited Malacia at the start of last season precisely as a back-up for Luke Shaw, those two options had to bring us a lot. The idea with Malacia was very good, and he just did well last season, but this season we never had him.
“This season is by far the hardest season I have ever had. Of everyone in the organization, I have had the most contact with the club doctor this season.”
So Malacia will be back, maybe for training camp?
That is a bummer for him and those close to him that he has suffered such a severe career set back.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.