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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Luke Shaw he can still become the best left-back in England if he fulfils his potential at Manchester United.

Shaw will face a fight to regain his place when he returns from his latest setback, with 19-year-old Brandon Williams impressing in his absence, but Solskjaer has no doubts about the level the more senior man can reach.

The departure of Ashley Young has taken away a level of competition at left-back, with the emergence of Williams playing a key role in that, while Solskjaer believes Diogo Dalot and Timothy Fosu-Mensah can also offer cover in both full-back positions.

But the United boss wants to see Shaw reach his full potential as part of a promising United back four, alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

Shaw's latest injury problem has kept him out since the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on New Year's Day and since his move to United in 2014 he has now missed 116 games through injury, making 119 appearances in that time.

But that fitness record hasn't yet led to Solskjaer giving up on the 24-year-old.

"Potentially we have the best left-back in England. Luke has the potential to be the best one," the United boss said. "And that is the great challenge for him now, Brandon has come in and done so well."

Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof and Shaw are all under the age of 26, while Williams is 19 and promising centre back Axel Tuanzebe is only 22.

That age profile gives Solskjaer confidence that he has a defence that can grow together into a formidable unit in the Premier League.

"I would hope so. Then again we have got Diogo who is a great attacking full-back, Tim is coming back who is 21 and played loads of games of Holland, and Axel as a centre-back," he said.

"So for me the foundation is there. Of course the back two as well, David [De Gea] and Sergio [Romero], make you very confident. So that is the foundation.

"We did spend the majority of our transfer money in the last window on Aaron and Harry because I felt we needed to defend better but also dominate and control games more, with Harry back there because he is such an authority back there and he is confident on the ball."

United now have three clean sheets in their last four games, two of which have been against Wolves, and that solidity at the back is giving the front three a platform to win games from.

Solskjaer has seen improvements from De Gea as well, who struggled for form towards the end of last season and hasn't always been at this best this term.

But his work with goalkeeping coaches Richard Hartis and Craig Mawson, who recently joined the club from Burnley, is beginning to pay dividends.

"We have been working on it of course. It is always the foundation of any team to defend well," said Solskjaer.

"I think David is improving, his work with Richard and Craig here now coming in is bearing fruit. Victor and Harry, they have been excellent as a pairing, I think they’ve grown to know each other.

"But it is the whole team. I think it is the workrate of the whole team. And we know everyone of us, 11 of us, has to defend well against Liverpool if we are going to be able to keep clean sheets."