England manager Roy Hodgson has claimed that he expected Luke Shaw to be the best left-back at Euro 2016 before he was struck down by a serious injury.
The Manchester United full-back is expected to be sidelined for at least six months after he broke his leg in two places in a tackle during his side's 2-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on September 15.
Now, the 20-year-old, who joined United from Southampton last year, is expected to miss the competition in France as he recovers from the blow.
"I think Luke knows how much we care about him," Hodgson told reporters in today's press conference. "He will realise from the work he's done with us what I and the other staff think.
"We had high hopes for Luke in 2016. We were punting on him being the left-back [at Euro 2016]. It's a cruel blow."
Shaw's injury gives Southampton's Ryan Bertrand an opportunity to force his way back into the fold.
