Luke Shaw will be given the chance to establish himself as Manchester United’s first-choice left-back, with José Mourinho impressed by the defender’s attitude and determination to take on board his demands.
The move from the manager comes after his serial criticism of Shaw last season appeared to put the player’s United future in doubt.
Shaw has endured a chequered three years since signing in the summer of 2014 from Southampton. He has sustained 17 injuries or illnesses, including a horrific leg break in September 2015.
Mourinho has questioned Shaw’s attitude, positioning and basic understanding of the game. In April he claimed it was “his body with my brain” that allowed Shaw to perform well as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Everton.
Shaw, who turned 22 on Wednesday, is with United at their training camp preparing for the opening match of their pre-season tour, against LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center on Saturday.
Shaw is continuing his recovery from season-ending ankle ligament damage suffered in April. During the opening session on Monday, Shaw trained alone, away from the main group at the UCLA complex in Westwood.
There is hope, albeit slim, that he may be fit for West Ham United’s visit to Old Trafford on 13 August for the season opener. Whenever Shaw does recover, Mourinho will select him at left-back at the first reasonable opportunity and challenge him to play well enough to keep his starting berth.