Manchester United officials recently announced the signing of Mazrahi, a transfer move that quickly triggered an in-depth analysis of the team's left-back position in the media. In particular, the Manchester Evening News pointed out that United is facing unprecedented challenges at left back, especially with Luke Shaw's long-term injury absence, the team's stability in this key position is seriously tested.
Luke Shaw has not been able to return to action since suffering a hamstring injury against Luton in February. He started just 15 Premier League games last season, well below the expectations of fans and the club. In his ten years at United, he has only made 30 or more Premier League appearances in two seasons, and frequent injuries have put his place in the starting lineup in jeopardy.
In the face of Luke Shaw's absence, United manager Jens Ten Hagar had to resort to the stopgap measure of playing Wan-Bissaka and Dalot as guest left backs on several occasions. However, both players are better at the right back position and their cameo performances did not fully fill the void left by Luke Shaw. New signing Mazrahi, while possessing some versatility, has played mainly as a right-back in his career and has relatively limited experience at left-back, so it was not United's original intention to sign him to solve the left-back crisis.
In an emergency situation, United even allowed center back Lisandro Martinez to play as a guest left back in the Community Shield, a move that showed the team's flexibility but also highlighted the stretched left back position. In addition, youngster Harry Armas, who performed well in the pre-season, was unfortunately unable to make the Community Shield roster for some reason.
Luke Shaw is predicted to be back after the international week in September, but he may take some time to regain fitness and form, meaning he could miss key games against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool. In the meantime, Mazrahi could be a short-term solution on the left for United, but United clearly need to be prepared for Luke Shaw's injury recurrence on a more permanent basis.
For Manchester United, this season is crucial for Luke Shaw. He needs to reassert his strength and value while staying healthy to solidify his place as a starter in the team. At the same time, United will also need to find or develop a reliable left-back replacement to deal with possible injuries and fatigue in the future.
