June 9th 2024.
Manchester United's manager, Erik ten Hag, has been making headlines recently, but not for the reasons he would hope. It seems that his request for defender Luke Shaw to play in a crucial match has now put Shaw's Euro 2024 dream in jeopardy. The 28-year-old is currently battling a hamstring injury, and England's first group game against Serbia will come too soon for him.
With England's ongoing defensive issues, the return of Shaw would be a major boost to their chances of winning their first major trophy since 1966. However, Shaw has not played in almost four months, aggravating his hamstring injury in Manchester United's match against Luton Town on February 18. He had also suffered a hamstring problem the week before against Aston Villa, but was asked by Ten Hag and United's medical staff to play against Luton - a decision he now regrets.
In an interview, Shaw admitted, "I felt something against Aston Villa and came off at half-time at Villa Park. It's kind of everyone's fault. Partly my fault, partly the medical staff's fault. I didn't train the whole week, but the scan showed that there wasn't too much damage. I trained the day before the game and when the manager asks me to play, I'm never going to say no. But looking back, I shouldn't have played."
As the race to regain his fitness for Euro 2024 continues, Shaw wanted to clear up any confusion surrounding his injury. He was included in England's provisional squad on May 21, just four days before missing the FA Cup final due to injury. "No one knows the situation, what's been happening," Shaw explained. "I think people have seen that there was a setback, but I was actually very close to returning to team training. I was pushing to get back for the final, but I pushed too hard and ended up with another hamstring injury, which was three weeks from the final. They said it was a six-week injury, so that's why there was a setback."
Shaw also addressed the confusion and questions surrounding his fitness for England despite not being fit for Manchester United. "I got a few people coming up to me, saying: 'How can you not be fit for United but fit for England?' But the circumstances were that I did everything I could to be fit for United, and that's been my whole season. It's been disappointing for me, but my priority is always United. I wanted to come out and explain what happened because there were a lot of questions and I don't want people thinking that I'm not committed to my club."
As for his chances of playing in England's opening game against Serbia, Shaw said, "We'll take it day by day and see how I'm feeling in training. I would love to make the first game, but I don't want to rush and risk another injury. Realistically, I only have one chance, and if I feel something, that's it. I don't want that to happen."
England's Euro 2024 campaign kicks off against Serbia, followed by matches against Denmark and Slovenia. Their goal is to top Group C and advance to the knockout stages. For more updates on Manchester United and their players, sign up for our newsletter and stay informed. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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