Former England international and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has backed Manchester United’s Luke Shaw to return to his best but admits the news of injury is very ‘sad’ for footballing fans.
Shaw, 20, was stretchered off in United’s 2-1 defeat at PSV Einhodven on Tuesday night after suffering a double fracture in his right leg.
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It was a horrific injury and one that stopped play for over five minutes as he received major treatment by paramedics pitch side. The initial signs were that he may have damaged ligaments but after seconds of players circling the youngster, it was clear it was a major injury.
With Shaw already undergoing surgery its expected that he will be out of action for around six months. Manager Louis van Gaal is deeply hurt by the news and nobody is surprised with Shaw being the Red Devils stand out player so far this season. And Carragher, who now works with Sky Sports, is very saddened by the news of his injury but hopes he can return in time for the Euros in June.
"“It’s very sad for him and for Manchester United,” said Carragher, who suffered a broken leg himself in 2003.“You think of how well he has performed this season, he has possibly been United’s best player alongside Chris Smalling in the early weeks. He was probably about to really cement that left-back position as his own and also with England ahead of the Euros, just as Ashley Cole did for a decade.“Hopefully for him he could come back for United before the end of the season and then make the Euros, but it could be a long road to recovery.”"
Carragher suffered a broken leg during his time at Liverpool which kept him out for a considerable amount of time. Many players go through this phase with injuries likely to happen but some never return to their best.
It’s a long road to recovery and one thing that Shaw has to do is remain patient. Every footballer wants to go out and play but sometimes making sure your recovery goes well is the main priority.
Van Gaal, 64, is one of the best coaches and he will ensure this happens and Carragher himself can remember going through the same stage when at Liverpool.
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"“The way I found myself getting through it was not thinking about coming back in four or five months, but having little targets,” he continued, as reported by Sky Sports. “You have your cast coming off after so many weeks, then you can start doing a bit of jogging, it’s thinking about those sort of things rather than looking at the whole picture. That’s the way I got through it.“He will get there, he is a young, powerful lad and I am sure he won’t cut any corners – Manchester United won’t allow that.“The situation now with the medical science involved and the recovery rates are a lot better and quicker than they were 10-15 years ago.“Over the next few weeks he has to get over the disappointment and then work to try and get back because he has shown what a good player he is. I think when he returns we will see the Luke Shaw we have seen over the last 3-4 months,” Carragher added."
United are now expected to play Marcos Rojo or Daley Blind at left-back but Shaw will be hugely missed, something Blind touched on after the PSV defeat.
Shaw’s pace and power has been a major asset for the Red Devils this season but now they have to try and continue their good Premier League start with a win against Southampton on Sunday.
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