Injured England international could return ahead of schedule

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed Luke Shaw is making good progress from the broken leg he suffered last year and could return ahead of schedule.

Shaw, 20, has been sidelined since September 15 with a broken leg following a heavy challenge with PSV Eindhoven defender Hector Moreno in the Champions League group stages.

The England international had made a sublime start to the season and was not expected to appear before the start of next season, ruling him out of the European Championship’s in the summer.

However, Van Gaal has revealed there is a chance Shaw could return ahead of schedule after confirming his rehabilitation was going very well.

“Shaw was with his surgeon and everything is going well,” the United boss told MUTV. “His bone is growing and that is very positive. He could return ahead of schedule, yes."

“But when i say that, then everybody thinks he is coming back within three months and it is not like that, you cannot say that. He needs time.

“At this moment he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, but there are also weeks when he is slow.”

Shaw is now into his second season at United after being made the most expensive teenager in the world at the time of his £30m move from Southampton to United in 2014.

The youngster struggled for form and fitness during his first campaign but hit the ground running and featured in every minute of United’s first five games of the season, and remains their highest rated player in the Premier League this season (7.36).

For more stats on Luke Shaw, click here to visit his WhoScored player page