Luke Shaw will be out for at least five weeks due to a hamstring injury, in what is a sizeable blow to Manchester United.
Shaw has been left devastated by a problem suffered in Saturday’s defeat to Crystal Palace, meaning the left-back is set to miss four games for the club and also on potential selection for England’s upcoming internationals.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær will now consider how to replace the 24-year-old. United’s manager has Ashley Young, the club captain, or, possibly, Marcos Rojo to fill the position. The latter is primarily a centre-back, though was voted into the 2014 World Cup Fifa team of the tournament at left-back. Diogo Dalot, who operates in the position, is injured, and Matteo Darmian is a further alternative.
The injury to Shaw means Rojo is less likely to depart the club before the continental transfer window closes on 2 September.
The matches Shaw will be unavailable for are Southampton, Leicester City, West Ham United and Arsenal. If he recovers as is expected the trip to Newcastle United on 6 October would be the first for which Solskjær could select him.
Anthony Martial, who injured a thigh against Palace, is not expected to be available for Saturday’s trip to Southampton. Whether the problem is serious enough to keep the Frenchman out for a considerable time and so prevent Alexis Sánchez’s proposed loan to Internazionale is yet to be established.
