Luke Shaw Told to 'Work and Wait' for Manchester United Chance by Jose Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has encouraged out-of-favour left-back Luke Shaw to fight for his spot in the starting XI.

The England international has only started six times in the Premier League this season and was left out of the squad completely for the clash with Watford on Saturday.

Mourinho has advised Shaw there is a place for him at Old Trafford, but he needs to work hard and be patient to force his way into his plans, per Arindam Rej of ESPN FC:

"

He has to work and wait. I wanted one defender on the bench [against Watford] and the defender is someone who can play in more than one position. [Matteo] Darmian can play left-back, right-back and as an emergency central defender for us, so my choice was Darmian.

The only thing I can say is that Luke is working well. He doesn't have any problem and is working well. He is fighting hard.

"

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Shaw's struggles to make it into the first team at United have prompted speculation that the England international could be sold at the end of the season. Miguel Delaney of The Independent reported last month that the former Southampton man will be moved on in the summer.

Indeed, as Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News recently suggested, it seems as though the Portuguese isn't a big fan of the 21-year-old:

Shaw moved to United in the summer of 2014 with a reputation as one of the brightest prospects in English football. His displays for Saints were exhilarating at times, and after a solid first term, he started the 2015-16 season brilliantly.

However, he suffered a broken leg against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League early in the campaign and has been fighting to recover form and fitness since.

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Given his age, there's still plenty of time for Shaw to reach the levels many tipped him for during his teenage years. Even in the scattering of appearances he's made this season, the left-back has been direct, energetic and offered an attacking threat from the position the likes of Darmian, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo cannot provide.

Even so, ESPN's Alex Shaw is already concerned that there may be no way back for the youngster:

Mourinho has made some curious decisions during his time as United boss. Not using Henrikh Mkhitaryan early in the season left supporters scratching their heads, but the Armenian is flourishing at the moment; Anthony Martial has also been made to wait for his chance as of late.

Shaw, it seems, will have to do the same. Plenty of supporters would love to see the left-back tearing up the flank again, as he'd offer another exciting dimension to the team's forward forays. But United are on a 16-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, and Mourinho is keeping faith with those who have helped put that sequence together.

After such a long injury layoff, Shaw does need to get game time soon, and with United still involved in four competitions, he will surely be given opportunities. Like Martial and Mkhitaryan, it's imperative he impresses the manager when they come.