Roy told: Lay off Luke
LOUIS van GAAL has challenged Roy Hodgson after the England manager suggested Manchester United’s teenage left back Luke Shaw has always had problems with his fitness. Shaw, 19, is one of 10 crocked United players missing today’s Barclays Premier League game at Burnley after injuring his hamstring in pre-season. He was also put on a special training programme by Van Gaal during United’s tour of America after the Dutch coach noticed a problem with his general conditioning. Hodgson picked up on this theme on Thursday, suggesting Shaw had similar issues at his previous club Southampton and during the World Cup with England. Last night Van Gaal said: ‘I want to say something about Shaw. I read nasty articles about him when we were in the USA. I said to him he needed to train and I changed his programme and he did everything he had to do to be fit. He is training fantastic. He is not fit now because he is injured but Roy Hodgson cannot judge at this moment. He can’t judge him because I have never seen him at one of our training sessions. I think he was referring to the World Cup. I don’t know but I want to ask him.’ United’s new defender Marcos Rojo is unable to play because of complications over his work permit but fellow new boy Angel di Maria will make his debut. Hopes of signing Arturo Vidal from Juventus or William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon have receded but a deal for Ajax utility man Daley Blind remains likely while United are also in talks with Roma over their midfielder Kevin Strootman. United’s Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa is on his way back to Borussia Dortmund while Aston Villa assistant manager Roy Keane has met midfielder Tom Cleverley to try and persuade him to move to the Midlands club.