Louis van Gaal believes had Luke Shaw not suffered a horror injury against PSV Eindhoven in September then he would have been the "revelation" of the season.
Shaw broke his leg when involved in a challenge with PSV Eindhoven's Hector Moreno earlier this season and may well not play again in the current campaign as a result, while even if he does return he will have missed most of the campaign.
The left-back is set to undergo a scan on Friday to assess his recovery, but Van Gaal is still smarting from having lost his services and believes Shaw would have taken English football by storm this season.
The Dutch tactician told a press conference: "I think the first match [against PSV] was very disappointing. Not only because of the result but also because of the loss of Luke Shaw – for me and for us he is a very important player.
"I said in advance already that he would be the revelation of this season", Van Gaal added.
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Manchester United play the reverse fixture in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven this Wednesday at Old Trafford, as Van Gaal looks for his side to take all three points against the Dutch team.
He has received a boost with the news that Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini are back fit and available.
Van Gaal was forced to play Memphis Depay as his side's striker on Saturday in a 2-1 win at Watford.
