The hard truth Manchester United must confront about one of their best players

It wasn't immediately apparent Manchester United were going to make a half-time change at Villa Park last weekend. As the players trudged off the pitch, there was no visible sign of injury or any indication of an impending switch.

Even when reporters re-emerged from the stadium's inner sanctum after a midway break, it was still not clear that Luke Shaw wouldn't be joining the rest of his teammates on the pitch.

Victor Lindelof was taking part in a warm-up in the far corner of the stadium, out of obvious view from the press box and away from the United fans packed into the away end. It was not until the TV cameras picked him out seconds before the half resumed that we realised what was happening.

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Given that Lindelof was coming on, the chatter turned to Raphael Varane or Shaw being injured again. The very fact that Shaw is bracketed alongside the injury-prone French defender tells you all you need to know.

When fit, Shaw is arguably the best left-back in the Premier League and still one of the industry leaders in his position. He is not only a traditional full-back who brings defensive solidity, but he also offers a lot going forward and was the unsung hero in Marcus Rashford's explosive campaign a year ago.

Shaw opitimises everything Erik ten Hag wants in a full-back, and it is telling that a decade after he joined the club, he remains as irreplaceable as ever, despite the numerous attempts to bring in worthy competition.

That is both a blessing and a curse. The fact there is nobody else quite like the 28-year-old is testament to both his attitude and ability, but it also