Man United left-back Luke Shaw ruled out with injury

Manchester United on Friday confirmed that left-back Luke Shaw has been ruled out of the upcoming games after sustaining an injury.

The 28-year-old is suffering from a muscle injury which is being assessed and he is expected to miss the on-field action for a "number of weeks."

Manchester United released an official statement to confirm Shaw's injury ahead of their clash against Nottingham Forest.

"Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has sustained an injury which will rule him out of forthcoming games. The muscle issue is still being assessed but the England left-back is expected to be out of action for a number of weeks," read a statement from Manchester United.

Shaw established himself as a key player in head coach Erik Ten Hag's debut season. He made 27 appearances last season, impressing on the defensive as well as on the offensive front.

Shaw's backup option Tyrell Malacia is also out of the action due to an injury. Under such circumstances, the club could look to sign another backup option.

Brandon Williams, who could have turned out to be a contender for that left-back option has already been shipped to Championship side Ipswich Town on a season-long loan on Thursday.

The young English full-back made five appearances for the Reds across pre-season earlier this summer. Last season, Brandon featured majorly for the Under-21s during the majority of our 2022/23 campaign and captained the side on many occasions in Premier League 2.

With the lack of options available, Manchester United are likely to struggle in the defensive department against Nottingham Forest break quickly and launch swift counter-attacks.

Even in their last game against Tottenham Hotspur, United's defensive struggles were on display. The Red Devils lacked the attacking sharpness but also struggled to deal with Tottenham's intensity on the attacking front.

Erik Ten Hag is likely to address the injury situation in the pre-match press conference which will take place today.