Luke Shaw yet to play this season due to calf injury; defender was expected to return in September and then October but suffered a setback; watch Man Utd vs Leicester in the Carabao Cup live on Sky Sports on Wednesday; kick-off 7.45pm
Tuesday 29 October 2024 19:04, UK
Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw has suffered an injury setback.
Shaw, who sustained a calf injury days before the start of the Premier League season, is yet to feature for United this season.
The 29-year-old was expected to return from injury after the September international break. However, when that comeback was delayed, Shaw's potential return date was changed to after the October international break.
However, the England international remains sidelined, and speaking after Manchester United's defeat to West Ham on Sunday, then United boss Erik ten Hag revealed that Shaw's recovery was not going to plan.
"The process is not going as we expected, that's the truth," said Ten Hag, who was sacked by Manchester United on Monday.
"The setback - if you want to call it like this - but we want to do it very careful because when he is now dropping again we have made the wrong process.
"So we want to be very careful. We know his past. We have to do this right because we want him to be available because he will have a big impact on our performances and also on our levels.
"We can't have it that he is playing for some games and then drops out again. So we do it very careful."
United - who face Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports+ - currently have seven players out through injury and Ten Hag said last Friday that those absences were holding back his side.
They were plagued by injuries last season and the recurrence of the problem led Ten Hag to call on the whole club to find solutions.
"Yeah, [the injuries] holds us back in our levels. And also in our position in the league," said Ten Hag last week.
"When you don't have the players available you can't line up the best team and that is what's holding us back in this moment and we need more players more often available.
"We have to work all together on this point, players, coaching staff, all the other staff, we have to do better to get more available players. Because we know when we have them we are a really tough team to play and can be really successful, which is what we have shown over the last couple of months."
Meanwhile, Ten Hag believed a third trophy in as many seasons would have made their current campaign a success.
The Dutchman was sacked by the club on Monday following a poor start to the season having registered only one win in their last eight games across all competitions.
Ten Hag's final game in charge came on Sunday, where United were beaten 2-1 by West Ham in the Premier League. He leaves Old Trafford having won two trophies with the club, the League Cup in his debut season followed by the FA Cup in May.
Speaking post-match on Sunday to preview United's Carabao Cup tie against Leicester, Ten Hag reiterated his focus was on winning a trophy.
When asked if winning a trophy in his third season would make it a success, Ten Hag replied: "Definitely, it's about trophies. I don't want to go into this debate again, but I think it's the truth that there are not so many trophies you can win.
"If you win a trophy in pro football, that is most important because that is what the fans expect and what we expect, to win a trophy.
"We have had five opportunities, one we missed and that was the first in the Community Shield, with still four to go."
Ten Hag earned his first major domestic title with United just eight months into the job when they beat Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in February 2023.
United are back in action in the competition on Wednesday against the Foxes, where Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in the dugout at Old Trafford as interim head coach - with the club in talks over replacing Ten Hag with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.
Their attention then turns to league action with a clash against Chelsea and, with the club sat 14th in the table, Ten Hag admitted United needed to "find the fuel" from their setbacks.
He said: "First of all we have to do better, the ranking does not reflect in our performance and our levels.
"At the end of the season, we have to get this right, but of course it is not easy when you have so many setbacks at the start of the season to overcome this.
"We have to fight back, but it always helps when you have a good start because it keeps motivation, keeps belief, the confidence will grow and we are now in the process on the other side where we are disappointed and have to deal with setbacks.
"Now we have to find the fuel from setbacks and disappointments."
You can watch any of the eight Carabao Cup fourth round ties with Sky Sports+ - including Man Utd vs Leicester City on Wednesday night (kick-off at 8.15pm).
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