Brawny Shaw will bounce back stronger.

By: Lokesh Sankar Rath

Philips Stadion witnessed something on the pitch which United fans were not accustomed to see for a while. Manchester United went Netherlands to kick start the group stage of UEFA Champions League with great spirit but came back wounded mentally. The loss of 2-1 was always bearable but the loss of Luke Shaw was unspeakably harsh. Shaw was tackled brutally by PSV`s Hector Moreno and suffered a double fracture on his right leg.

Luke Shaw after his Injury

Shaw faced an intermittent season last time around and failed to impress Louis Van Gaal. He is a stubborn who works very hard to get back stronger and he didn`t fail to do so. Patience, Stamina and Power were the three things which were the hallmarks of Luke Shaw in this season. He showed his attacking skills against Swansea as he was the creator of the Juan Mata`s goal. He developed himself with great spirit and became a regular starter for the Red Devils. From club legend Danis Irwin to Club and Country captain Wayne Rooney, everybody praised the football of Luke Shaw. Shaw featured in England team a week before his injury and gave a great performance. He was mentioned in the dressing room speech of Wayne Rooney and that is a spectacular achievement for any young lad.

That tackle from Moreno

After his 30m move from Southampton FC last summer Shaw has faced several difficult situations. He was forced to train alone to gain his physical strength to feature in United`s starting line up. Louis Van Gaal publicly criticized Luke Shaw`s  fitness level last season. For that he worked hard and got back his name in the team sheet. He was playing good and unfortunately sidelined against Arsenal. He did not stop and started training harder to get back. We saw glimpse of him in the pre season tour and he was a regular from the starting of the continuing season. Shaw managed to impress a lot of United fans by his lighting pace and tremendous skills.

Shaw is a born fighter and a hard working lad. Only a matter of time when he will recover from a double surgery on his leg. He has to follow a schedule to be strong. Louis Van Gaal will not risk and it is his nature. It is a hard path for Shaw to recover but he has to do it in the hard way. Man United doctors are very professional and they have a record to do miracles over the course of time. The recent success includes Jesse Lingard , Ashley Young, Victor Valdes, Delay Blind, Angel Di Maria and Marouane Fellaini who were out for several weeks. Shaw`s surgery will be tough task for them too but they will overcome it.

Luke Shaw in 2015

 In this season United will play more games than last year because of Champions League but Van Gaal is not short in that position. Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young can play as the left back but Delay Blind who has been terrific this season in the back four can play as a long term substitute for Shaw. Manchester United can also bring back Tyler Blackett from Celtic who is on a season long loan deal. United will play Shaw`s parent club Southampton this Sunday and both fans at St Mary Stadium have planned to applaud him at 23rd minute for praying his speedy recovery.

Louis Van Gaal gave update on him saying he had discussed with him on phone and Shaw was very positive. This is a good sign from any player at his level. He will be itching to get recovered and he certainly will. It is very hard to impress Louis Van Gaal and Shaw never failed to do so on any occasion. He has the trust of many players, his teammates and big fan base of Manchester United all around the world. Shaw got visited on hospital by the Manager of PSV   Phillip Cocu and the player involved in that challenge Hector Moreno. Many big stars have also wished him for his recovery.

Shaw is not the only one in world football who will be out for more than 6 months. He is 20 and is still in the growing stage physically. Several legends have also faced similar situation during their youth. He is young and bold. He can be a big plus at any moment after his arrival. I hope he doesn't rush towards the field. He has to take each step carefully and get  stronger. This article is based on my belief on resourceful Shaw that he will again start running  in the left flank towards Stretford End.