Luke Shaw available after injury, says Manchester United manager
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed Luke Shaw is available to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from his ankle injury.
Shaw has not featured for United since suffering ankle ligament damage against Swansea at the end of April but has stepped up his recovery with the U23s in recent weeks.
The England defender has endured a nightmare time with injuries since joining United, but Mourinho has now confirmed the 22-year-old is back in contention with the first team.
“Luke Shaw is not injured anymore so it’s a question of form, it’s a question of option. But it is not injured, he’s recovered,” The Daily Mail quote Mourinho as saying at his pre-match press conference ahead of United’s clash with Everton on Sunday.
Shaw isn’t likely to feature against Everton this weekend, but realistically has a chance of making his return to first-team action against Burton Albion in the League Cup next week.
United have reportedly triggered a clause in Shaw’s contract to extend his current deal by a further 12 months until 2019, but this season could prove a defining one for the defender’s time at Old Trafford after being regularly criticised by Mourinho in the past.
Since joining United in August 2014, United have a marginally better win ratio in the Premier League without Shaw starting XI (52.8%) compared to a 44.8% win ratio when he has started.