Luke Shaw’s availability for this summer’s European Championship is in greater doubt than ever after the Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, said the left-back was struggling to be fit for the FA Cup final after a setback.
Shaw has not featured for United for three months, after coming off with a muscle problem during their victory against Luton in February. His England colleague Harry Maguire has not played since United’s draw with Burnley at the end of last month and Ten Hag offered a mixed update on the pair.
Asked whether they would be available for England and United’s trip to Wembley a week on Saturday, Ten Hag said: “For England, I can’t say – it’s not up to me. But for the Cup final, we’re working on it. Harry Maguire, I think it’s a fair chance he will be available.
“Luke is more complicated, in this moment; I think it’s less of a chance that he will make it but there is still a chance. He had a setback, and now we have to find out how he is.”
Shaw missing the Euros would represent a blow for Gareth Southgate, who will name his provisional squad on Tuesday. The England manager has used players including Chelsea’s Levi Colwill and Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier on the left but Shaw, if fit, would be all but certain to start for England. Another candidate for the position, Ben Chilwell, was on the bench for Chelsea at Brighton on Wednesday but has barely played since early March because of knee problems.
United finish their Premier League campaign at Brighton on Sunday, six days before the Cup final against Manchester City, and Ten Hag refused to be drawn on United’s summer activity in the meantime. “All the issues will only distract us,” he said. “We know what we’re building on and we have to keep this process going but at the same time we have to win games. The focus for me and the team is those two games.”
Ten Hag was also asked about video assistant referees, after confirmation of a vote among Premier League clubs next month about whether to remove it. “In principle it makes football more fair,” he said. “But there are some problems and I think we have to find solutions for those problems. We have to make improvements.”
