Gary Johnson’s side were handed a plum draw when paired with United but a difficult fixture may prove even trickier should Louis van Gaal utilise the opportunity to give some of his recovering stars an outing
Browsing: Luke Shaw
The 18-year-old left back established himself as one of the hottest prospects in world football during his time at St Mary’s, leading to admiring glances from many major clubs
Expectations are high at Old Trafford for the upcoming season and this will start with van Gaal’s ability to attract new legs
City face stiff competition from Chelsea and Manchester United for the 18-year-old but, with Gaël Clichy having lost his first-team berth and doubts about the defensive abilities of his replacement Aleksandar Kolarov, the Southampton defender represents an attractive, long-term investment
With Juan Mata able to play wide as well as through the middle, Shaw’s speed and desire to attack would allow him to link up with the Spaniard and pose a problem for opponents that is absent owing to the manager’s chopping and changing over who should play on the wing