Sport
Luke Shaw is back in Man United training as Lisandro Martinez makes his return to Carrington
Things are looking up for Man United's defence.
Danny Jones -
23rd November 2023 
Manchester United have been given a boost as two first-team stars, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez, have been spotted back at Carrington, with the former said to have resumed full training and the centre-back stepped up his recovery.
The club confirmed that Shaw, who has been out of the Man United squad for three months with a muscle injury, returned to training with the rest of the group on Wednesday.
Erik ten Hag has had to experiment with a number of individuals at left-back in the meantime, with Tyrell Malacia also injured and Sergio Reguilón in and out of the squad with various knocks, leaving right-back Diogo Dalot and midfield signing Sofyan Amrabat to fill in among other makeshift replacements.
The England international’s return will no doubt prove a huge boost to the Dutchman’s backline and general squad depth as the Red Devils have been riddled with injury problems throughout the year, and the return of Martinez to the Carrington Training Complex will no doubt give supporters added hope too.
Now a World Cup winner with Argentina, the 25-year-old was one of ten Hag’s key signings and quickly became a fan favourite, however, after doing yet more damage to his metatarsal — the same injury that wiped him out for a large chunk of last season — the Reds have once again had to do without him.
While the former Ajax man isn’t due to return until 2024, his return to Carrington marks a positive step in his individual recovery and, in the case of United fans, could mean they could expect a comeback not long after the Christmas period.
As two of the first names on starting 11 when everyone is fit, Shaw’s imminent return and Martinez’s eventual reintegration could hugely benefit results at Old Trafford and on the road in what has been another up-and-down campaign for the red half of Manchester.
On the other hand, believe it or not, United are actually the most in-form team in the Premier League at present, with four wins in their last five matches and a very winnable fixture against Everton up next following the end of the international break.
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Nevertheless, even having Shaw available for selection again will allow the manager to put players back in the right position and when Martinez does gradually return in the new year, his options and ability to rotate in the Champions League will improve even more.
Man United currently sit sixth in the league, seven points off leaders Man City on 28 and with plenty of teams only a point or two behind them.
It’s not even Christmas yet, of course, and it’s still a long old season but it’s looking like we might have another gripping title race on our hands.
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Featured Images — Manchester United (via Twitter)
