Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has jumped to the defence of PSV Eindhoven’s Hector Moreno following his tackle that has left Luke Shaw with a broken leg.
The England international faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after it was confirmed after the game that he had suffered a double leg fracture during the first-half of United’s Champions League opener at the Philips Stadion on Tuesday night.
Moreno’s challenge has been widely criticised by supporters and many in the media, including Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal and former Premier League referee Graham Poll, who felt the defender was lucky not to be sent-off.
However, Yorke insists the Mexican defender did not intend to hurt Shaw and believes the criticism is not justified:
“It was unlucky. He [Shaw] has got into a very good position in the box and, because of his momentum, he tried to stop,” the ex-United hitman told talkSPORT.
“If he continued in the direction he was heading, I felt he may have been able to prevent that injury. But he tried to stop and the defender coming in at full-tilt managed to catch him with his back leg and that’s where the damage has come from.”
“It was a fairly reasonable tackle, certainly not one with intent,” Yorke insisted.
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The unfortunate incident is a major blow for Shaw as he made an excellent start to the season and now his participation at next summer’s European Championships are in serious doubt.