Luke Shaw injury: Man Utd absence revealed, which games he’ll miss & Euro 2024 chances assessed

Luke Shaw has suffered another long-term injury setback, with Manchester United confirming on Wednesday night that the defender will be out for ‘out for an extended period’.

It’s a bitter blow to Erik ten Hag, who has spent the majority of the campaign bemoaning the fact he has been unable to pick his best XI, leading to a lack of rhythm and consistency. The returns of Lisandro Martinez, Shaw and Casemiro in January resulted in a revitalised feeling around the United camp, but only the latter is available for the time being, with Martinez and Shaw suffering fresh problems in recent weeks.

The additional headache for Ten Hag is that he doesn’t currently have any fit left-backs to select. Victor Lindelof has played in that role over the last two games, with Shaw replaced at half-time in both, while Tyrell Malacia remains on the sidelines as he recovers from a knee injury that has prevented him playing this season.

To rub salt in the wounds, United cut short Sergio Reguilon’s loan and he returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur as Ten Hag anticipated the returns of Shaw and Malacia in January. Now, both remain unavailable while Reguilon played in Manchester this week as Brentford lost at the Etihad.

Below, we’ve rounded up all the key information on Shaw’s injury…

How long is Shaw out for?

United revealed the England international is set to be out for ‘a few months’, while a report in The Athletic claimed Shaw might be absent for the next 12 weeks.

What games will Shaw miss?

If the ex-Southampton man is out for 12 weeks that means his season is over (it’s exactly 12 weeks to the final match of the Premier League campaign). Therefore, Shaw will not be available for next week’s Manchester derby and games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. The FA Cup final is scheduled for 25 May and, should United get there, Shaw could be an option, although the chances of him being immediately selected for such a high-profile match seem unlikely.

What about Shaw’s Euro 2024 chances?

That remains the big unknown. Shaw should have recovered from the injury by the time England’s campaign begins on 16 June, but the lack of regular game time in the coming months could prove to be an issue. Gareth Southgate’s record does offer the United star some hope, and Harry Maguire was picked for Euro 2020 after missing the latter stages of United’s 2020/21 season, albeit that was a shorter absence than Shaw’s. A twelve-week break could prove terminal for the 28-year-old’s hopes of making the Euro 2024 squad, but a shorter break of two months would certainly improve his chances.

What other injuries has Shaw suffered?

This is Shaw’s third injury of the season and he missed 16 games during the autumn period after suffering a muscular problem. He sustained another issue in December which kept him out of the side for just over a month. Shaw also suffered three separate injuries in 2021/22, the last of which saw the removal of metal bolts in his leg that were inserted after his horror leg break in 2015.