Erik ten Hag reveals latest Luke Shaw injury frustration

Luke Shaw may not return for Manchester United until after the October international break, admits Erik ten Hag.

The defender is yet to play this season as he deals with a calf problem he picked up over the summer.

The 29-year-old has not appeared for the Red Devils since February when he suffered a hamstring injury, but did return for England at Euro 2024 before his latest fitness issue.

Ten Hag says the hope was for Shaw to be back in action at the start of next month, either at Porto on 3 or Aston Villa on 6 October, before the international break.

However, he now says he is not convinced that will happen and it may not be until the Red Devils host Brentford on 19 October that we see Shaw again.

Asked when Shaw will be back, Ten Hag told a press conference on Tuesday morning: ‘I can’t say for certain.

‘The plan is to be back before [the October international break], but I can’t be 100 per cent sure. It could be shortly after the break.’

Manchester United’s injury issues are currently all in defence, with Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelöf the other fitness worries for Ten Hag.

None are available this week as the Red Devils prepare to host FC Twente in the Europa League on Wednesday night.

Having come through the youth set-up at the club and then had two further spells with them as a player, FC Twente mean a lot to the Manchester United boss.

‘I would have preferred to play against somebody else. It’s not nice to hurt something you love,’ he said.

‘Of all the teams, Twente is the team I follow the most. I watch them as a fan, as a supporter, not as an analyst. It’s a different way of watching their games.

‘Twente brought me a lot, I was put through their academy, so for me great deal of history there.’

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