Luke Shaw to Miss Manchester United’s Champions League Opener
Luke Shaw is set to sit out Manchester United’s Champions League opener against Sabah on Thursday, leaving Michael Carrick’s side exposed in a position they failed to reinforce in the summer.
The 31-year-old was absent from United’s final training session on Wednesday morning, which was designated as a recovery and rest day for the squad. His omission underlines the concern: four days before a derby against Manchester City, United’s only senior specialist left back is expected to be unavailable.
Derby Looms, Recovery Gap Grows
United face City at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Pep Guardiola’s side enjoying a clear advantage in preparation time after beating Porto on Tuesday night. Those extra two days of recovery land heavily on Carrick’s planning, especially with his defensive reshuffle already under scrutiny.
At Everton on Sunday, Shaw was withdrawn in the 91st minute with United leading 2-1. Moments later, the decision came back to haunt them. Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck in the 95th minute to snatch a draw, turning what looked like a hard-earned away win into a damaging late setback.
Carrick’s late-game changes at the back drew criticism, not least from former United captain Gary Neville, who questioned the logic of disrupting a defensive unit in stoppage time while protecting a narrow lead.
Right back Diogo Dalot was also taken off in the closing stages at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, replaced by centre back Leny Yoro as United tried to see the game out. The reshuffle only added to the sense of instability.
Left-Back Void Exposed
United’s failure to bring in a left back in the summer now looks even more costly. Interest in Newcastle’s Lewis Hall was quickly rebuffed, and the club never managed to secure an alternative.
That left Shaw as the only senior out-and-out left back in the squad. Behind him, the depth chart is thin.
Harry Amass, 19, is the only specialist back-up, but he has not played for United since May 2025. The youngster spent last season on loan in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City, only for his campaign to be cut short by a hamstring injury at Norwich in January. He has not featured since.
Noussair Mazraoui is capable of filling in on the left and did so when he replaced Shaw at Everton, but his cameo only highlighted the risks of improvisation. In stoppage time, he inadvertently diverted the ball into the path of Maitland-Niles, who punished United with the late equaliser.
United were offered Arsenal left back Myles Lewis-Skelly during the window, yet walked away from the deal after balking at a price in excess of £50 million.
Now, with Shaw sidelined for Europe and City looming on the horizon, that decision will be tested under the harshest possible spotlight.
