Manchester United’s team-sheet against Bournemouth revealed a rare occurrence at Old Trafford nowadays: a start for Luke Shaw.
The former Southampton man will not play against Rostov, but that doesn’t seem to hint towards a possible exit this summer.
That’s because the Manchester Evening News claim that Jose Mourinho has finally been won over by the left-back, and will no longer try and sign a replacement.
Until the Bournemouth game, the England international was effectively fourth-choice in the pecking order, surpassed by Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, and Matteo Darmian.
Yet, when fit and on form, Shaw is easily the most convincing player in that position that the club has.
At last week’s press conference, Mourinho said:
“Luke is working hard, he’s trying to improve.
“He improved by the physical point of view, I can say that by good dedication, specific work and now he needs some opportunities to feel alive.
“He needs minutes on the pitch to show evolution is not physical but globally because a player is not just a better physical condition.”
Shaw is only under contract until 2018, which meant a decision needed to have been made by the summer, or United would risk losing him for free a year later.
That decision has now been made, and it’s unlikely that Mourinho will regret it.
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