Luke Shaw responds to accusations of ‘deliberately’ missing Man United games but being fit for England

Luke Shaw responds to accusations of ‘deliberately’ missing Man United games but being fit for England

Mark Kinyanjui 09:10 - 10.06.2024

Shaw made the England final squad for the Euros despite not kicking a ball for Man United since February, with some section of fans now questioning why he'd be fit for country but not club.

Luke Shaw has responded to criticism suggesting he deliberately missed Manchester United games to be fit for England. 

Shaw, 28, has faced multiple injury setbacks this season, limiting him to just 12 Premier League appearances. He last played in United’s 2-1 win at Luton Town on February 18, having already missed three months between August and late November and another month until February. 

Despite starting four games in February, he was substituted at half-time against Aston Villa on February 11 due to a hamstring discomfort.

Shaw attributed his injury issues to a collective failure, including himself and United’s medical staff. 

“It’s kind of everyone’s fault. Partly my fault, partly medical staff, I think everyone would admit that. I didn’t train the whole week,” Shaw told the British media. 

He revealed that although a scan showed no serious damage, he trained only the day before the match. Shaw admitted he should not have played, as pushing himself too soon led to a recurrence of his hamstring injury at Luton in February.

This latest setback, initially expected to sideline him for six weeks, ruled him out for the rest of the 2023-24 season. Shaw's inclusion in England’s 26-man squad for the European Championship prompted questions about his fitness for the national team while being unavailable for United.

 Addressing these concerns, Shaw explained, “I got a few people coming up to me, saying: ‘How can you not be fit for United but fit for England?’ But the circumstances were that I did push to do everything I can to be fit for United, and that’s been really my whole season.”

Shaw emphasised his commitment to Manchester United, stating, “I want to do everything I can, first and foremost, for United.” 

He also wanted to clarify the situation publicly, to dispel any misconceptions about his intentions.

“It’s better for me to come out and say what happened, because I think there were a lot of questions over how I could be here and not United. That’s been playing on my mind a little bit because I don’t want people thinking that that’s what I’m doing," he added.

Shaw is progressing “day by day” in his recovery and will miss England’s group stage opener against Serbia on June 16. However, he aims to be involved in the squad for the match against Denmark four days later.

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