Injury woes in defence look set to continue

There have been conflicting reports around Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, with one source saying he was out for another four weeks and others predicting a return to training next week.

Given he was part of the senior squad training at Carrington last Wednesday ahead of their Europa League trip to Romania and the club have not dismissed queries around Shaw's fitness, it seems certain that head coach Ruben Amorim will confirm the England man has had some kind of setback when he speaks to the media this afternoon.

Shaw has not started a game for Manchester United since 18 February last year. He has made six appearances, three for England at Euro 2024 and three for his club as a substitute, the last of which was on 1 December.

With Lisandro Martinez looking set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, Amorim would have wanted Shaw as an option for the left-sided central defensive slot.

Club officials do not believe Martinez will play again this season. It is his fourth - and most significant - injury of eight weeks or longer since joining Manchester United in 2022.

The news could mean a more prominent role for former Arsenal youngster Ayden Heaven, who joined the club as a first-team squad member over the weekend.