An Ighalo left-back or a changeable Martinez: Five ways Man Utd are coping with the absence of Luke Shaw

An Ighalo left-back or a changeable Martinez: Five ways Man Utd are coping with the absence of Luke Shaw

Manchester United need to fill the void left by Luke Shaw, such as buying a centre-back to free up Martinez or finding Ighalo’s left-back equivalent.

United suffered another drop in injuries after it was revealed Luke Shaw would be sidelined with a muscle injury. Shaw’s absence is a slap in the balls for Erik ten Hag, who now finds himself without one of his most reliable players.

The United coach can therefore represent the English left-back.

Play backup

That would be Tyrell Malacia. But the Dutch defender can’t take the chance he was waiting for because he too is finished. We don’t know how long.

Milan and Porto and twice for Portugal.

Dalot is arguably better on the ball than in defence, so he shouldn’t struggle to play further as an inverted midfielder, as all full-backs seem to be doing these days.

 

 

Use the Academy

United may not have a senior left-back, but they have a damn good newcomer waiting for his chance. Alvaro Fernandez spent last season on loan at Preston, where he played 42 games and won the North End Young Player of the Season award. The previous year, the Spaniard was named United Reserve Player of the Season.

After returning to United that summer, Fernandez played half of his pre-season friendlies, but mostly those featuring a fringe side. Brandon Williams was Shaw’s oldest replacement, which was surprising as he was widely expected to leave Old Trafford. In fact, Williams signed a contract with Ipswich this week, making himself even more popular with Norwich fans. Prior to Shaw’s injury Fernandez was also likely expecting a loan move, or possibly even a permanent exit, but Ten Hag may now choose to sideline him. But the manager’s pre-season picks seemed to clarify the status of Spain’s under-19 international, meaning his needs could be better served away from Old Trafford in the meantime.

 

Change the shape

Sometimes, faced with the loss of a key player, coaches try to deal with it by changing the structure of their team. Could Ten Hag opt to play with three full-backs instead of finding an equal replacement for Shaw?

Unlikely. Shaw’s absence alone doesn’t necessitate a change of form while United, especially given the current injury spree, don’t have what it takes to host such a game.

With United struggling for form and fitness in the opening weeks of the season, such drastic action would be unnecessary.

 

 

Move the defenders

Ten Hag could choose to take the defenders out of their comfort zone in the middle and deploy them on the left flank in Shaw’s absence.

The obvious candidate would be Lisandro Martinez. The Argentina international played there occasionally for Ajax and his versatility was praised when Ten Hag signed the defender from Amsterdam last summer; That’s why Arsenal wanted him. Could United afford to decenter Martinez? Not now. Alongside Raphael Varane, the 25-year-old is essential to the safety of Ten Hag’s defence.

However, if United field another centre-back, it could open up the possibility for Martinez to move a spot to the left. It seems that such a prospect would only be possible if the club manages to oust Harry Maguire – arf! — and it would make sense to start planning Varane’s succession. It could be an answer to two problems, but in terms of Ten Hag’s left-back crisis, it’s a long-term solution to a relatively short-term problem.