Manchester United might have to rebuild their strongest partnership in summer transfer window

No matter what you think about Erik ten Hag's future as Manchester United manager, he has a valid argument when it comes to blaming this season's downfall on injuries.

United have been inundated with injury problems throughout the campaign, meaning Ten Hag has rarely been able to select his preferred starting line-up. As soon as he has recovered one player, another has made his way into the treatment room.

Of course, United have still had enough quality at their disposal to produce better performances and secure better results, but there is no denying it has had a major impact. Any club would have felt a similar jolt.

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For all their injury issues this season, however, few players have been missed more than Luke Shaw. The former Southampton defender has made just 15 appearances in all competitions, meaning he has missed 32 of the Reds' 47 matches this season.

Experiencing three separate spells on the sidelines, the left-back has been absent with his latest injury since being forced off against Luton Town with a muscle problem on February 18. He is expected to return before the end of the campaign and needs to prove his fitness ahead of the European Championship in Germany.

Last season, Shaw was one of United's best players, producing some of his best performances since joining the club from Southampton in 2014. He was key to United's impressive clean sheet tally and cemented himself as a figurehead in United's first-phase build-up play, progressing the ball out from the back alongside Lisandro Martinez, who has also been sorely missed this season.

As well as forming a strong left-sided