Jose Mourinho is trying to get Luke Shaw to fight for his place at Manchester United and is “testing” him, former United defender Rio Ferdinand has said.
Shaw was left out of the squad for the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Mourinho has told left-back Shaw he wants him to “improve,” and Ferdinand said: “It looks like he is testing them mentally.
“Hit them with something — are you going to stay down or are you going to get up and fight? If you get up then he says yes, that’s the type of man I want in my team.
“As players, that’s what you want in your team. You don’t want players who will get one hit and shy away from things.
“One bad pass in a game, shy away from taking the ball again for the next 10 or 15 minutes… that’s not how you win titles.
“You need players who are going to be brave receiving the ball, not just physically but mentally, and saying whatever happens here going forward, I will be with you guys shoulder to shoulder.”
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