Luke Shaw is the player with the longest playing time in the current Man United squad. He joined M.U in 2014, the most recent match against Palace marked the 300th time the English defender has played for the "Red Devils", an average of 27 matches/season. Meanwhile, captain Bruno Fernandes only needs half of Shaw's time to have 303 appearances for the team.
Shaw's talent is undeniable, but injuries have taken away many things from this defender. Since moving to Old Trafford, Shaw has suffered a lot of injuries, through many stages. Especially in his first season at Man United, he only made 20 appearances.
Remember the time Shaw broke his leg in the match against PSV in the 2015 Champions League. That moment took away many talents of the English star, even though he later made great efforts to regain his class.
In his first three seasons at M.U, Shaw did not play in more than 20 games. From 2018 to 2023, he has achieved an average of 39 matches/season. However, in the last 2 seasons, Shaw has only played 15 and 12 matches respectively. This season, Man United has played few matches, so the possibility of being overloaded and prone to injury will be reduced for Luke Shaw, which is a good sign for this defender.
This is easily recognized if looking at Luke Shaw's statistics since the beginning of the tournament. He has started every Premier League game and has played almost every 90 minutes. Shaw has now played 14 Premier League games so far alone, more than last season's total (12).
One of the reasons Shaw could gradually stabilize is his trip to Qatar in March this year. He was treated at the Aspire facility in Doha with top physiotherapists and a Man United doctor. Doctors in Qatar have comprehensively assessed the problems Shaw is experiencing, paying special attention to the muscle in his right leg, where he suffered a broken bone 10 years ago.
Being treated according to the world's top quality regimen, combined with warm weather, helped Shaw recover faster than expected.
In addition to his return, Shaw has adapted quickly to Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 style of play. Although the index is no longer as good as before in terms of attacking performance, with the current left-sided central defender role, the more Shaw plays, the more it shows that if Lisandro Martinez returns, the Argentine central defender must compete very fiercely to get a position.
Shaw's current contract with Man United is valid until 2027, so the time he could negotiate with another team will be January of the same year. Shaw was 32 years old at the time and had little chance to start regularly. Man United have not intended to sell Shaw for many years, they may want him to continue playing but will have to choose a lower salary.
In addition to showing professionalism and imparting experience to young players, Luke Shaw also shows that he is a very straightforward, honest person and does not leave bad public opinion towards Man United. After bad matches, the English defender always blames himself, does not blame and shows a positive attitude, wants to correct his mistakes and improve in the following matches.
This time, Shaw wants to appear in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, the World Cup could be the last of his career. Shaw has made 34 appearances for England but has not made any more since the beginning of 2025.
