Luke Shaw is fighting to save his Manchester United career after being told by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he has fallen behind teenager Brandon Williams in the pecking order.

Shaw has not played since he picked up a serious hamstring problem in August and has struggled with injuries since he made a £30m move – a then world record for a teenager - from Southampton in the summer of 2014.

United had been planning to sign another left back in the January window as Solskjaer wanted Shaw to have some competition but has been delighted with the emergence of the 19-year-old Williams.

That has led him to cancel any move for a full back, but it is not good news for Shaw, who needs to prove himself to the Norwegian.

Worryingly for the 24-year-old, who will start for United against Astana in Kazakhstan on Thursday night in his first appearance for almost three months, Williams is now viewed as the better player by his manager.