Man Utd ‘close’ to completing signing after fresh injury blow rules key man out for ‘number of weeks’

Manchester United have suffered another selection blow with Luke Shaw sustaining an injury which will rule him out for a ‘number of weeks’.

It comes after Mason Mount was ruled out of Saturday’s fixture against Nottingham Forest - with the summer signing not expected to return until the international break next month.

Shaw has played every minute of United’s opening two games - as they opened the season with a 1-0 home win over Wolves before suffering a 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

A club statement on Shaw confirmed: “Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has sustained an injury which will rule him out of forthcoming games.

“The muscle issue is still being assessed but the England left-back is expected to be out of action for a number of weeks. United are currently preparing for Saturday’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.”

The news of Shaw’s injury comes amid reports from the Telegraph that United are close to agreeing a one-year deal with former defender Jonny Evans.

Shaw has played the opening two games at left-back with Evans likely to provide cover at centre-back, in a move that raises further questions over Harry Maguire’s Old Trafford future.

The Northern Ireland international was training with the club’s Under-21s side after leaving Leicester City as a free agent at the end of last season.

He was handed a short-term deal with United and involved in the club’s pre-season tour, but could now remain at Old Trafford for the remainder of the campaign.

Evans is no stranger to the club having graduated from the academy ranks and played over 200 games before being sold to West Brom in 2015. He joined Leicester in 2018 but left the Foxes following their relegation to the Championship.

Ten Hag has reportedly been impressed by Evans during training sessions and believes the defender can provide experience at centre-back when needed.