Shaw Injury Can Galvanise United's Players

Louis van Gaal accepts Luke Shaw's injury could have a galvanising effect on Manchester United as the other players attempt to lift the spirits of their injured colleague.

Shaw faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after breaking his right leg during the midweek defeat to PSV Eindhoven and his colleagues were obviously upset to see him in such pain on the field. While everybody's thoughts were clearly with the left-back in the aftermath of the incident, focus must shift to Southampton and the Reds can provide a perfect tonic for the 20-year-old by beating his former club on Sunday.

When asked at his pre-match media briefing if the group could grow stronger in the face of such adversity, the manager replied: "It could be [the case]. There was also a question in Eindhoven, in the press conference, about the mental influence of such an injury and I said that I cannot prove that.

"You cannot see into the heads of the players. I have now read in some papers that some players said it had an influence.

"But maybe it will have a positive influence in the dressing room. When you see us playing and the spirit that we have, I don't have any doubt."

Van Gaal also elaborated on Shaw's current situation following reports the defender required a second course of surgery in the Netherlands on Friday.

"It was to close the stitches or something like that," explained the boss. "The pressure was high and that is why the immediate operation was needed and because [of the] opening of the leg, you need to close it also. It was a typical minor operation. It could not be done today, so we have to do it here in Manchester. Now that the pressure is low, he can fly back.

"That is the latest information I know. He is going to a private clinic in Manchester and, if it is alright, then he will go home on Tuesday. It depends on how the injury develops."

It is obviously difficult to put a timescale on Shaw's return so soon after the surgery but the manager reiterated he expects to be without the left-back's services until next spring.

"I have said already at the PSV press conference that I am not a doctor," he said. "But the doctor also cannot say anything about that other than, for these kind of injuries, it is at least six months. After that, he may be able to play but it also depends on how his rehabilitation develops.

"I am not a doctor, so I cannot say it, and the doctor cannot say it either because there can be circumstances in which he has a setback. However, if everything is good, then maybe six months."