Luke Shaw to Miss Manchester United’s Champions League Opener
Luke Shaw is expected to sit out Manchester United’s Champions League opener against Sabah on Thursday, leaving Michael Carrick painfully exposed in a position the club failed to reinforce.
Shaw, 31, was absent from United’s final session at Carrington on Wednesday morning, which was designated as a recovery and rest day for the squad. With Manchester City visiting Old Trafford on Sunday – and enjoying two extra days’ rest after their win over Porto on Tuesday – Carrick now faces a delicate balancing act with his only senior specialist left back.
Carrick’s Late Changes Under Scrutiny
Shaw’s situation comes just days after Carrick’s late-game decisions at Everton drew criticism. United were 2-1 up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium when Shaw was withdrawn in the 91st minute. Four minutes later, Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck a 95th-minute equaliser.
Gary Neville publicly questioned Carrick’s choice to alter his back line so deep into stoppage time, as United tried to see out the win. Right back Diogo Dalot had already been replaced by centre back Leny Yoro in the closing stages, another switch that invited scrutiny once Everton found a way back.
Noussair Mazraoui, who can operate at left back, came on for Shaw and was involved in the decisive moment, inadvertently steering the ball into Maitland-Niles’ path for the leveller. One substitution, one loose touch, and two points gone.
Summer Gamble at Left Back
United’s current predicament is rooted in a summer window that never quite delivered the defensive cover they needed. The club pushed for a left back but hit a wall with Newcastle when they explored a move for Lewis Hall, receiving short shrift in negotiations.
Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly was also offered to United, but the asking price – in excess of £50million – was deemed too steep. United walked away. The risk was obvious then. It is glaring now.
Shaw remains the only senior out-and-out left back in the squad. Behind him, the depth chart is thin. Very thin.
Amass Rusty and Recovering
The only specialist back-up is 19-year-old Harry Amass, but he is nowhere near match sharpness. Amass has not played for United since May 2025 and spent last season on loan in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City.
His campaign at Norwich was cut short by a hamstring injury in January, and he has not featured since. Throwing him straight into a Champions League opener, with City looming at the weekend, would be a huge call.
So Carrick now heads into a pivotal week with a patched-up plan at left back, a bruised defence from Goodison, and a rival across town enjoying extra rest. The decision not to buy may yet define United’s early season – and Shaw’s absence on Thursday is the first hard reminder of that gamble.
