Manchester United fans have already had to deal with the blow of seeing Mason Mount sidelined with injury, and now more worrying news comes out. The Athletic reports that left-back Luke Shaw is expected to miss an impactful amount of time with a muscle injury. Furthermore, The Athletic state that United hope that after further assessment, Shaw will only be out for “weeks” and not “months.” Shaw’s backup, Tyrell Malacia, is also out with an injury with no timeline.
What will Erik ten Hag do with Manchester United’s left-back spot?
With no senior left-backs available, internal or external alternatives will have to be discussed. Internally, youngster Alvaro Fernandez, linked to Burnley earlier in the window, is the most first-team-ready natural left-back. The 21-year-old returned from loan this summer after playing last season with Preston North End in the Championship. Erik ten Hag could also opt to play Diogo Dalot as an inverted fullback, a position the Portuguese defender played against Nottingham Forest last season. Funny enough, Forest is United’s next opponent in the Premier League, and Dalot could easily find himself playing there once again.
If Shaw’s injury ends up being months, and with Malacia’s return unknown, Manchester United could look externally and sign a stop-gap player. It is hard to say what players could be deemed realistic. Any player coming in would know they will only be starting for a short period of time before Luke Shaw is expected to take over the position again.
An out-of-thin-air suggestion could be Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters. The fullback is naturally a right-back but has played plenty on the left side in recent seasons. Given the Saints’ relegation, Walker-Peters would likely not be an overly expensive buy, and he has just two years left on his contract.
With Manchester United wanting to push on this season, it will be crucial for the club to treat the Luke Shaw situation with care.