Ralf Rangnick confirmed in his press conference on Friday that Manchester United are set to be without Luke Shaw for at least a month. The English full-back is reportedly having screws removed from his leg following the operation to fix his leg break back in 2015.
Rangnick said: "As it seems, he will be out for another at least four weeks, if not five weeks, so I think for him it will be difficult to be available for one of the remaining seven games." This means that others will have to step up in United's time of need.
But who is set to take Shaw's place? Let's take a look at the options United have available to them.
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Alex Telles
The obvious choice to fill in for Shaw. Telles has been the main rotation option under Rangnick at left-back but some fans are questioning whether United should persevere with the Brazilian.
Though not the best defensively, when he was signed from Porto many fans lauded his attacking output, with 21 goals and 40 assists in 129 appearances for the Portuguese outfit. However, in the Premier League, he has only registered two assists.
He is the most experienced option and can offer stability in the absence of Shaw but, with potentially nothing left to play for this season, there are some fans who believe United would be better spent looking towards the future. At 29 and with Erik ten Hag reportedly planning a five-year rebuild at United, is going forward with the Telles the best decision?
Diogo Dalot
Though naturally deployed at right-back, some United fans have wondered whether it would be better to play Dalot on the left with Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right. The full-back played there occasionally with AC Milan with mixed results.
With Dalot operating as an inverted right-back and choosing to come inside to progress the ball forward, playing him on the left would allow him to hold the width more naturally. It's an interesting option but one that Rangnick is unlikely to try.
Alvaro Fernandez
And of course, we have the 'why don't you just play the kids' option which has become a fixture during the past few seasons when United look to have nothing else to play for. However, there may be some logic in asking for Fernandez to get some game-time towards the end of this season.
Telles may be the preferred option but it's likely he will still need to be rotated. Given Fernandez has been gaining plaudits for his performances in the development squads, it seems he is near the front of the queue to get a first-team appearance in many fans' eyes. If he impresses he could end up being part of the first-team squad under Ten Hag.
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