Man Utd player leaves Sir Jim Ratcliffe fuming after Ineos boss sent personal demand

It's impossible not to have sympathy with Luke Shaw. That sentiment will spread across the Manchester United fanbase, dressing room, coaching staff and hierarchy. An avid marathon runner like Sir Jim Ratcliffe will understand how pesky injury issues can cause just as much mental anguish as physical discomfort.

There is also frustration en masse. It's important to note that there will be no human on this planet more angered by Shaw's latest setback than the left-back himself.

However, Ratcliffe has invested a significant amount of money to inherit control of the wheel that is steering the ship.

He has made his ambition perfectly clear: to restore United's status as one of the best teams in world football.

But as Ruben Amorim's predecessors have discovered across the decade of Shaw's despair since his career-altering leg break in 2015, it will be near impossible to realise the Ineos kingpin's dream without an available left-back.

Ratcliffe made his desperation for the United No. 23's sustained fitness apparent during a video message ahead of England's Euro 2024 final against Spain in the summer.

At the end of his well wishes, the 72-year-old comedically added: "Luke, please don't pull your hamstring again!"

Erik ten Hag spent most of his two-and-a-half-year reign without a left-back. A couple of weeks after his exit, Tyrell Malacia returned to contention after 18 months on the sidelines with knee problems.

Yet, his struggles in the first half of United's 3-2 win against PAOK last week proved he is far from match-fit.

Shaw has made substitute cameos in all three of Amorim's games as head coach so far and was expected to start against Arsenal in Lisandro Martinez's absence.

Then came the latest in a long line of updates from Carrington that nobody wanted to hear. Last night, United confirmed the 29-year-old had suffered a fresh muscular injury.

Shaw shared his devastation in an Instagram post after the news broke, claiming he was "hurting" and going through his "toughest period."

He added: "I understand there are going to be people frustrated, angry, disappointed, and I understand all that. There is no one feeling that more than me at this moment in time."

Ratcliffe and United's football decision-makers will be among those people, and Amorim is widely expected to target a new left-back in his first two transfer windows.

Amorim will also be disappointed. However, he will have had little time to weep while considering how to nullify Arsenal's star man Bukayo Saka with what is now a heavily depleted left side of his defence.