Manchester United defender Luke Shaw will return home to Manchester today following a horrific double leg fracture during Tuesday night’s Champions League game versus PSV Eindhoven.
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The injury occurred when PSV Eindhoven’s Hector Moreno tackled his opponent in the first half of United’s 2-1 defeat in Holland.
The player himself has not set a target for his comeback date, but Louis van Gaal said after the match that he could return by March.
“I called him last night; he sounds very strong, which was wonderful for me – a big surprise. The main thing is how the development of the rehabilitation shall go”.
Cocu also defended his player, insisting he had no intention of injuring the Shaw. “Maybe tomorrow (Saturday)”. But we have in Blind, Rojo and in Ashley Young, good replacements.
“He scored against (Club) Brugge”, Van Gaal said after confirming his captain had overcome a hamstring injury to be fit for Sunday’s game at Southampton.
That has riled plenty of people at United, as Van Gaal and others at the club have since lambasted Moreno for his lunging tackle on Shaw. “Hector is really distressed his opponent was so badly hurt”.
United should have gone into the break with the lead, but poor marking from a corner lead to a soft goal for PSV, giving them the equaliser against the run of play.
“The pressure was high and that is why the immediate operation was needed and because of the opening of the leg, you need to close it also”, he said.
“I’ve never seen the away dressing room”, he said. We are a strong team unit so it cuts into you.
Shaw had made a fine start to the new season and Van Gaal admitted on Friday it would be very hard to replace the former Southampton star. “I don’t think is a normal position for them”. Van Gaal and CEO Ed Woodward visited Shaw, with his family, at hospital in Eindhoven following surgery.
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In the 15th minute of the Champions League group stage match, Moreno slid in from behind on Shaw with both feet, trapping the left-back’s right foot, which bent at an angle.
