Manchester United stalwart Luke Shaw may have an internal battle on his hands as he looks to maintain his place in the starting lineup.
The 30-year-old has been omnipresent in Ruben Amorim’s lineup since the start of the season, as he has been selected in all five of the club’s Premier League fixtures thus far. The manager even went on to describe him as a ‘world-class’ player.
The Englishman has been getting largely because Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from the ACL injury that has kept him on the sidelines since February. In the Argentine’s absence, the former Southampton star has been featuring as a left centre-back in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, but Amorim’s recent statements suggest that Shaw will be dropped once Lisandro regains his strength.
Luke Shaw has been Amorim’s first choice for the left centre-back role amidst Lisandro Martinez’s absence
With Martinez temporarily out of the picture, the consensus has been that Shaw is vying for his spot against the young Ayden Heaven, whom many consider a more natural fit for this particular role, since he’s a left-footed centre-back.
But while the teenager was highly impressive last season, he has only started in the shocking Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town, and hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory on that particular occasion.
Nevertheless, Shaw might find himself battling for his role against a sterner contender, as Lery Yoro is seemingly targeting a spot on the left side of the defensive trio after losing his place on the right.
“Honestly, I like both, you know,” Yoro had previously told the media as reported by the Utd District.
“On the left, I can go ahead with the ball, and on the right… Of course, on the left, sometimes you need to use more your left foot, but… It’s not really a problem for me, so… I feel good in both.”
Leny Yoro gunning for Luke Shaw’s place in Man Utd lineup
Yoro began the campaign as a starter on the right side of the backline. However, the Frenchman had a poor display against Man City, prompting Amorim to drop him, switch Matthijs de Ligt to the right, and entrust Harry Maguire with the central role.
Following last Saturday’s victory over Chelsea, the Portuguese manager will be enticed to field the same personnel at the back this weekend against Brentford, but Yoro will be itching to reclaim a spot in the lineup in the coming weeks, and at this stage, Shaw’s place appears to be the most vulnerable.
