Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane defends Hector Moreno's tackle on Luke Shaw

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes Hector Moreno's tackle that injured Luke Shaw was perfectly legitimate and that the 20-year-old's injury was an unfortunate accident that should not be blamed on the Mexican defender. Shaw was carried off the field on a stretcher and is expected to miss a major part of the action on the pitch this season.

Shaw had picked the ball up on the left flank and skipped past a couple of defenders and into the penalty box from where he was about to shoot, when Moreno barged into the 20-year-old, leaving him in tatters. Louis van Gaal was extremely critical of the tackle and insisted that Moreno should have been sent off and a penalty handed to United. The oversight was more glaring given their 2-1 loss to Eindhoven, having gone a goal up in the first half.

However, Keane was impressed with the referee's decision to not rule a foul. He contends it was a legitimate tackle by the defender. Besides, the players' reactions after the tackle suggested they did not think it malicious.

"I thought it was a brilliant challenge. I love the physical side of the game. You can always tell by the players' reactions - they are the best judges as they are near the tackle. They didn't think it was a bad challenge at the time," Keane told ITV, as quoted by the Mirror. "When players are travelling at great speed then (injuries) are always going to happen. I am surprised there's not more. It was an accident with his trailing foot," he added.

Shaw has had two fractures on his leg for which he had surgery after coming back to Manchester and is likely to go under the knife yet again for another procedure. The defender was United's best player since the start of the season and was voted their player of the month for August.