Shaw returns to Man Utd training after 10 months out

The left-back broke his leg against PSV in September but is in line to make his comeback for the new campaign after working out under the eye of new boss Jose Mourinho.

Luke Shaw is back in training with Manchester United 10 months after breaking his leg in a Champions League match against PSV.

The left-back has not featured at all since the incident and was not fit enough for a place in England's squad at Euro 2016.

He is in line to make his comeback at the start of the new season, however, and has worked out in front of Jose Mourinho this week as the ex-Chelsea kicked off United's preparation.

Shaw signed for the Red Devils for around £30 million from Southampton in 2014 and had started every league game of the 2015-16 season until his injury.

New signings Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly have also been present on the training ground, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the rest of United's Euro 2016 players still on holiday.

Luke Shaw sends Mourinho a Manchester United fitness update on Instagram

The Man Utd defender missed a huge chunk of last season after breaking his leg in the Champions League.

Luke Shaw has assured new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho he will be raring to go for the new season.

The England left-back missed nine months of action after breaking his leg against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in September last year.

He was in contention for a surprise return in the FA Cup final but missed out - and was too late to make it into Roy Hodgson's England squad for France 2016.

But the 20-year-old is back in training and will use the summer months to make sure he is in top shape for the start of the Mourinho era.

And he used his Instagram account to say "I'll be ready" along side a photograph of him in United training gear.

He said recently: "Day by day I am getting better and fitter."

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal defends methods, philosophy and results

Louis van Gaal has defended his methods, philosophy and results as Manchester United prepare for a week that could determine the manager's future.

It seemed the Reds had turned the corner and belatedly found some consistency, with a four-match winning run complemented by home-grown teenager Marcus Rashford's remarkable emergence.

The feel-good factor at Old Trafford has proved short-lived, though, with United's Champions League hopes seriously dented by back-to-back losses.

Sunday's uninspiring 1-0 defeat at West Brom diminished their top-four hopes and a tepid display at Anfield saw the Reds' chances of qualifying through the Europa League narrow on Thursday.

Turning around the 2-0 last-16 loss is a big ask when Liverpool arrive for the second leg - a match bookended by a Premier League trip to rivals Manchester City and, firstly, an FA Cup quarter-final at home to West Ham.

Those matches could go a long way to determining under-fire Van Gaal's future, even if the Dutchman did not want to talk about it ahead of Sunday's match.

"I don't want to discuss that with you because you are not part of the people who will determine," Van Gaal said.

"This (defeat to Liverpool) of course gives us much more pressure.

"We are in three competitions and after the defeat in Midjytlland you have sacked me already and then we are standing up, and then we are in the next round and it is possible also against Liverpool.

"We have to play that match for the second time and then at home and then we create that atmosphere and then maybe we score some goals. It shall be very difficult, I know that, but it is possible.

"It is not impossible. Against West Ham United, it is also possible. At Old Trafford, we (would) normally win our games."

Van Gaal bristled when asked how many times United had played the way he wanted - "you are now very negative" - and rejected the accusation that United had fallen short in his time at the helm.

"I think it is working," he said. "The style is also working.

"It is not giving the best results. It is not good enough when you think you have to be a champion. Or win the Euro League or the FA Cup.

"It is still possible, but when you see this game (against Liverpool), you can say what you are saying but when you analyse what we have done this season and the other season, then you cannot say that.

"I cannot change your mind because you are thinking (it already) otherwise you don't put the question to me."

Juan Mata will miss the quarter-final through suspension.

Jesse Lingard returns to the squad having served a ban in the clash with Liverpool, while Adnan Januzaj and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are available having been ineligible for Thursday's match.

Wayne Rooney (knee), Luke Shaw (leg), Ashley Young (groin/pelvis) and Will Keane (groin) remain absent, but Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson are nearing a return.

Meanwhile, Slaven Bilic claims Michail Antonio is a shining example of the gems available in the lower leagues.

The 25-year-old was a surprise B£7million deadline-day arrival at West Ham, having finally reached the top flight via Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest.

Antonio had to bide his time to make an impact at Upton Park with just one brief substitute appearance in his first three months at the club.

But a spate of injuries gave the winger his chance and he has grabbed it with both hands, scoring seven goals and becoming one of West Ham's key figures in their rise to fifth in the Premier League.

Antonio could even cap a dream first season at the club with a Wembley appearance if they can get past United at Old Trafford.

And Bilic believes there are plenty more players capable of following the likes of Antonio and Leicester's Jamie Vardy up the football pyramid.

"There are, definitely, it's not only him," said the Hammers boss. "There are a few players. We also have Sam Byram who came few months ago and is doing great.

"Antonio is the biggest example for all the guys playing in lower divisions. Not to mention Jamie Vardy. There are definitely some really good players especially if you surround them with more quality players, like Antonio is.

"He benefits from that and we benefit from that situation. And he deserves it."

Enner Valencia, Victor Moses and Joey O'Brien are available for the tie.

Valencia has recovered from a sprained ankle, Moses is fit after a quad injury and O'Brien has shaken off hamstring trouble.

Winston Reid is close to returning after a hamstring problem but the Old Trafford clash is likely to come too soon, while fellow defenders James Tomkins (calf) and James Collins (hamstring) are still injured and Sam Byram is cup-tied.

Stoke City compound Louis Van Gaal's woes

Mark Hughes was surprised Van Gaal dropped Rooney for the first time during his 18-month spell as United boss.

Louis van Gaal has hinted that he may resign before being sacked as Manchester United manager, as reported by The Independent.

Hiddink's first match in charge ended in a 2-2 draw at home to high-flying Watford after Oscar missed a second-half penalty that could have secured back-to-back wins.

Louis van Gaal has taken the brunt of the blame for ­United's slump, during which they have dropped to fifth in the Premier League, nine points adrift of leaders Leicester. For United, none of Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo or Jesse Lingard have recovered from their injuries, and so join long-term absentees Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia on the sidelines.

"You can single anybody out when you are in these situations, but the only way to get through this is to work hard, stick together and keep believing it will turn for us, and it has to turn for us in the next game".

Van Gaal's future is looking increasingly uncertain after a run of six matches in all competitions without a victory, coupled with a series of uninspiring performances.

A day after British astronaut Tim Peake displayed a Stoke flag on the International Space Station, the central England team was in a different orbit to United in the first half.

Depay, a winger in the right back position, was unaware that Glen Johnson was primed to dart in and seize possession before crossing for Krkic, who took a touch then slotted the ball into the net in the 19th minute.

The 20-times English champions have always been associated with swashbuckling attacking football but, apart from a brief flurry after the break when Van Gaal brought captain Wayne Rooney off the bench having omitted him for "tactical reasons", they were woefully short.

Van Gaal admitted he has a big challenge in motivating his players to end the poor run of results.

And the mission facing United became even tougher seven minutes later.

United dominated possession following Rooney's introduction and were denied a route back into the game as Butland produced an excellent point-blank save to thwart Marouane Fellaini after the Belgian had met the England skipper's low delivery. His mood would have darkened further had Arnautovic scored another when through on goal moments later but luckily for United, the Austrian shot wide.

It was a hapless first-half performance, and Van Gaal questioned why his players "don't dare to play football". "That's a good signal", added Van Gaal.

In the closing minutes, Rooney this time set up Juan Mata but again Butland made the vital save.

United visit Hughes' Stoke in the Premier League this lunchtime - and are desperately in need of a win to lift them out of their current crisis. United is three points adrift of fourth-place Tottenham.

Louis van Gaal Delighted With Manchester United’s Response Against Everton

“My performances and lack of goals here over the years have disappointed me, but I’ve scored today and I’m glad to get the victory”.

Louis van Gaal says he is “very proud” of his Manchester United team after they were in superb form, beating Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon. “He is the best English player in English history and we are lucky to have him”, the Spaniard said about his teammate.

Rooney added the third when Herrera slid him through after a horrendous pass from Phil Jagielka, racing away before beating Tim Howard in the Everton goal.

Speaking to MUTV after the final whistle, van Gaal said, “I am very happy with the response of my players and I am very proud of the performance”.

“I have a lot of meetings, individual and team meetings, 10 or 15 between Wednesday and this match and then you have to decide who is playing because of the opponent and the state of your players”.

The Argentine, who at one point looked as though he had no future at United, played at left-back due to Luke Shaw’s long-term absence with a broken leg and performed extremely well.

Over the course of the 90 minutes at Goodison Park, hosts Everton had 47% of the possession, took 12 shots of which just three were on target, and earned five corners.

The loss was the Blues’ first since Man City won 2-0 at Goodison in late August and Galloway, who started that game, says their city rivals are the best team Everton have played this term.

“This was the way we had to react after Arsenal”.

The Belgian nearly closed down David de Gea when he was sold short by two backpasses in the first six minutes. We controlled the game and created chances.

The 20-year-old is expected to miss the majority of this season following the horrific double fracture he suffered against PSV Eindhoven last month.

Herrera was a 2014 signing from Athletic Bilbao but United bought two other central midfielders this summer, in Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger. When the club sign top players it is a challenge and you have to gain from it. “That is insane but now I think he shall score more”.

Manchester United injury news: Louis van Gaal gives surprising update on Luke Shaw rehabilitation

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted surprise at Luke Shaw's injury progress after the defender started walking with braces just one month after he suffered a double leg break during the Red Devils' champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven. The former Southampton defender has been ruled out for six months by the manager after undergoing two bouts of surgery.

The 22-year-old defender, who had a difficult debut season at Old Trafford, had been the 20-time English champions' best player until the injury wrecked his 2015/16 campaign. Shaw had established himself as Van Gaal's first choice left-back and was on the way to nailing his place down in the England team as well. The young defender, however, will have to start from square one following the injury, but has handed everyone at the club a boost by returning to begin his rehabilitation ahead of schedule.

The former Bayern Munich manager claims that it is 'unbelievable' to see the defender at the club's Carrington training complex every day, but has called for patience when it comes to his actual return to training with the first team. The manager believes that the defender has a long road ahead in his recovery process, and believes that his participation with England at the European Championships in France next year is '50-50' due to the possibility of injury setbacks delaying his recovery.

"He is already here every day, walking with a brace and starting his rehabilitation. It is unbelievable. But he has a long way to go. At the moment, the progress is steep, but at the end it will be flat and that is difficult to maintain your mentality. But now he is fantastic," Van Gaal said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"You cannot say that now he can go. Like Roy Hodgson says 50-50 because it is possible, but it is dependent on the rehabilitation. Maybe there are complications, you never know, that happens a lot so we have to wait and see," the Dutch manager added.