Shaw injury has Man U on defensive
[caption id="attachment_100949" align="alignright" width="300"] DOUBLE FRACTURE: Manchester United’s Luke Shaw holds his broken leg after being tackled during their Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven in Eindhoven. Picture: EPA[/caption]
MANCHESTER United fans were already concerned about their side’s lack of goal-scorers, but Luke Shaw’s horrific leg break and likely six-month absence now has them worrying about the defence as well.
The England left back suffered a double fracture of his right leg in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven after a scything tackle in the penalty area by Mexican Hector Moreno.
The game was stopped for eight minutes while medical staff attended to Shaw, who was carried off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped to his face.
United said in an update yesterday that Shaw had surgery immediately after the match at the St Anna Hospital in Geldrop and would remain in Eindhoven to continue his recovery.
Moreno, who broke his leg playing for Mexico against United manager Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup and sent a message of support to Shaw via Twitter, went unpunished.
“It is very bad and sad for him, but also for our team,” Van Gaal said.
Shaw had been in top form for club and country after a difficult first year at Old Trafford following his move from Southampton.
He had started all of United’s eight games as well as playing in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland, with England manager Roy Hodgson seeing him as a stalwart in the same fashion as Ashley Cole.
His prolonged absence will be a blow for Hodgson, as it will for Van Gaal who had spoken last month of how important the player would be in his lineup. “Luke is a big talent. I think this shall be the season of Luke Shaw – that I believe,” he said.
Shaw had worked hard on his fitness, paying for a personal trainer to accompany him on holiday.
With Daley Blind and Chris Smalling in the centre and Matteo Darmian on the right, United have looked solid in defence with fans more focused on where the goals might come from after the exit of Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and Radamel Falcao. – Reuters
