Question for the day What's happened with the U23s?

What's happened with the U23s?

Shaw has made several appearances for Manchester United's U23s and his bleakest hour came when he was played at centre-back in their game against Arsenal last month.
That said a lot about how far he has fallen. OK, they were short on numbers, but to play him there was fairly bleak for a young player who was so highly rated when he arrived at Old Trafford.
Other senior players have come back from injury and gone straight into the first team, so you can understand Luke thinking: 'What am I doing playing for the U23s when I'm fit? And what am I doing playing at centre-back?'
That's not an easy thing to get his head around.

What's next?

It's an interesting situation because if he starts against Swansea and plays well, he might have a chance to work his way back into Mourinho's thoughts. If he is named on the bench, however, then in many ways the writing will be on the wall.
There's no doubting that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is still a big fan of his, and I think Luke would like to play for him again as well. There is also a suggestion that Danny Rose might be on United's agenda, so a player-plus-cash deal might be best for all parties concerned.
But there is also a feeling behind the scenes at Manchester United that you can't just dispense with a kid who you spent so much money on. There is pressure from further up the food chain to persist with players like that rather than cutting them loose.
We'll find out an awful lot more against Swansea. If he plays well it raises a major question for Mourinho, who is dealing with an injury crisis at the moment. Can he get back into the team? This game could be his best hope of turning things around.