A disappointing season for a number of Manchester United’s biggest-name stars always carried with it the threat of consequences.
And, after Casemiro was omitted from the Brazil squad for the upcoming Copa America despite seven years of near-constant call-ups, Marcus Rashford‘s fears were confirmed on Tuesday afternoon as Gareth Southgate unveiled his preliminary, 33-man England roster ahead of Euro 2024.
Rashford, Southgate said, was simply a victim of the fact that there are other players in better nick right now. Even the most red-tinted of Manchester United supporters would have to agree with that. While Rashford has underwhelmed under Erik ten Hag, Ebere Eze and Anthony Gordon have sparkled at Crystal Palace and Newcastle United respectively.
In a squad picked seemingly with current form at the front of his thinking, Southgate had pundits from Barrow to Brighton breathing a sigh of relief when confirming that Kobbie Mainoo had been given the nod ahead of Jordan Henderson.
Luke Shaw was part of the roster too. But maybe not for long.
Luke Shaw’s England hopes in the balance
The squad will be reduced from 33 to 26 closer to the tournament’s beginning.
And Shaw, who has not featured since February and could miss this weekend’s FA Cup final due to yet another injury, is very much a ‘long shot’ by Southgate’s own admission, likely to be one of the seven who miss out.
“I have to say, he’s up against it,” Southgate says, albeit while keen to give his first-choice left-back every chance to prove his fitness (TalkSPORT, 21 May, 2pm).
“He has missed a lot of football. The fact that he has been our first choice in that position, we are probably giving him a bit more (time) than we might have done. But I am not sure whats realistic at this moment at time.”
One suspects that, if England had more cover in the left-back spot, Southgate might not have been quite so determined to keep a very close eye on Shaw’s attempted comeback. With no Ben Chilwell either, there is not really a natural left-sided full-back available to the Three Lions.
Joe Gomez can play there, at least, and has done for Liverpool of late. Kieran Trippier of Newcastle United, meanwhile, has featured in that spot for England in previous tournaments and held his own.
“I will talk with (Shaw), the medical team,” Southgate adds. “I will liaise with Manchester United closely.
“But he is a long shot.”
Manchester United hoping for FA Cup final return
Shaw made only 12 Premier League appearances for Manchester United in 2023/24. Just four of those have come since the turn of the year, and it is no co-oincidence surely that United won four successive top-flight games when one of Europe’s most technically-gifted full-backs was (briefly) fit and firing.
Ten Hag confirmed, earlier in May, that Shaw may also miss out on the FA Cup final re-match with Manchester City this weekend.
“Luke Shaw had a setback in his process (in recovering from injury),” Ten Hag told Manchester United’s official website. “But there is still hope and he will fight to be available for the final.”
That, really, is all Shaw can do right now. ‘Fight’ and ‘hope’.