Luke Shaw has been withdrawn by Saints from the England Under 18 squad to play Italy at mansfield tomorrow night, prompting speculation that he could be in line for a Premier league debut.
Saints have announced that Luke Shaw had picked up an injury against Spurs U21 side on Monday 15th October and that this has forced his withdrawal from the England squad, however with an injury to Danny Fox and a crisis in defence speculation is rife that Shaw may have actually been withdrawn with the intention of him making his Premier league debut on Sunday when Saints face the Spurs first team.
Given that Shaw played the full 90 minutes in the academy game and that with a full week since passed its a very late call to withdraw him, this fuels rumour that Shaw could actually be being wrapped in cotton wool ahead of Sunday's fixture and that Nigel Adkins might be willing to gamble that the talented youngster is ready to be thrown in at the deep end, ironically perhaps facing a player who made his bow at left back for saints at a similar age, Gareth Bale.
Throwing in Shaw would undoubtably be a big risk for Adkins, but some would say no more of a gamble than playing Yoshida again at left back and that given the youngster has pace he could counter that of Bale.
My worry though would be that at present with the cover ahead of our left back, Ashley Cole would struggle, the problem isnt the position itself but the wide left position in front of it.
A game like this could make or break a youngster, seven years ago many of our promising youth team were thrown to the wolves and although some prospered, others like Nathan Dyer took a long time to get over it and realise their potential, some it could be said like Dexter Blackstock never realised theirs.