Manchester United have been handed a massive injury boost as left-back Luke Shaw returned to training for the first time since his horrific injury in the Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven last September.
The former Southampton star suffered a double fracture on his leg, which saw him miss most part of the 2015/16 season. His injury hampered his progress as he had a flying start to this campaign.
Juan Mata took on social media to confirm the news. He posted on his official Instagram account saying, "My friend @lukeshaw23 just came in from running out on the pitch! Getting closer."
United registered a 1-0 victory over Everton in the last Premier League tie. Prior to the clash, Louis van Gaal admitted in his pre-match press conference that Shaw is unlikely to feature for the Red Devils this season.
"Luke Shaw shall start next week the first training sessions on the pitch," Van Gaal said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"It was always in the gym, on the treadmill, in the swimming pool and so on, but now he can train for the first time with his bodyweight on the pitch, so it is going great for him. But also, it shall be very difficult for him to play the final of the FA Cup."
In Shaw's absence, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has deployed several players in the left-back position. The list includes the likes of Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young, teenager Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and even Daley Blind.
According to the Telegraph, the 20-year-old full-back is targeting to make his way back into the pitch in order to get some playing time under his belt. Shaw has set his sights on making it to Roy Hodgson's squad for the summer's European championship. Time alone will tell if Shaw will feature before the start of the 2016 pre-season tour.
