“Luke Shaw has been having serious Injury problems. We can’t have that type of player here. He can’t play up to 10 games each season. We need to secure the talented Spanish Left-back before he decides to go back to Real Madrid”-Erik ten Hag makes his feelings clear after finding perfect Luke Shaw alternative at Manchester United after contacting the player and his agent.

Luke Shaw has long been seen as Manchester United’s top choice for the left-back position when fully fit. However, recent developments have led manager Erik ten Hag to suggest that a new player could emerge as Shaw’s successor based on recent performances in the role.

Shaw arrived at Manchester United back in 2014 with high expectations as one of the most promising young defenders in European football. Now aged 29, Shaw has accumulated 275 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring four goals along the way, and helping the team win major trophies such as the FA Cup and the League Cup. Unfortunately, his career has been disrupted by a series of injuries, with the most serious setback being a double leg fracture he suffered in a 2015 Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven.

This season, Shaw has been sidelined with another injury, having not played for United since February in a victory over Luton Town. Despite his ongoing fitness issues, Shaw was still named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024. Shaw remains under contract with Manchester United until 2027, and the club has additional left-back options available, including Tyrell Malacia and new summer signing Noussair Mazraoui. Mazraoui, who joined from Bayern Munich, primarily plays as a right-back but has shown the flexibility to cover both defensive flanks when needed.

In addition to these options, a new player is beginning to make a name for himself as a potential left-back: Toby Collyer, a 20-year-old who has primarily been deployed as a defensive midfielder. Collyer made his first-team debut earlier this season in the Community Shield loss to Manchester City, and he has since appeared three times for United, including a substitute appearance in the Premier League during a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Collyer’s breakthrough came in the third round of the Carabao Cup when he earned his first start for United, playing as a left-back in a 7-0 demolition of League One side Barnsley. This dominant performance—the biggest win of the Ten Hag era—has drawn attention to Collyer’s ability to adapt to the left-back position, raising speculation that he could become a long-term solution for United in that area.

Speaking about Collyer’s performance at left-back, Ten Hag said, “It was his first time playing in that role. He has practiced it a little in training, but this was his first competitive match in that position. The start was challenging for him, but as the game progressed, he settled into his rhythm, and the team found its shape.”

Collyer’s promising display in this new role could give Ten Hag something to think about as he plans for the future of Manchester United’s defense. With Shaw’s ongoing injury struggles, Collyer might just provide the team with a fresh option in the left-back position as they look ahead to the next phase of squad development.