Manchester United's foolhardy approach to this summer's transfer window has left them without A SINGLE left-back - just three days before their Premier League opener against Swansea City at Old Trafford. It was announced this evening that crocked Luke Shaw is out for a month with a hamstring injury after missing Tuesday night's pre-season friendly win against Valencia. And that leaves United without a single left-back following the sales of Alexander Buttner and Patrice Evra. Buttner has gone to Dynamo Moscow after falling out with new manager Louis van Gaal while veteran defender Evra asked to join Juventus and was granted his request. That could mean rookie Reece James plays on the left side of defence against Swansea on Saturday. James has never played a senior game for United. His only two professional appearances of his career to date came during a loan spell at Carlisle United, who were relegated into League Two last season. News of Shaw's injury puts United in dire straits days ahead of the league opener. They are chasing Sporting Lisbon's versatile defender Marcos Rojo, who can play centre-back and also left-back - where he operated during this summer's World Cup for Argentina, playing as a left-sided fullback in six of the South American's seven games at the finals in Brazil. It is unlikely however that he will be registered in time to be eligible for selection ahead of this weekend's opening round of league fixtures, with James set to be pressed into unfamiliar first-team action. United should never have let Evra leave this summer, and relying on teenager Shaw alone was always going to be a recipe for disaster.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
