Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has expressed his confusion over why some people were surprised by the news that Robert Griffin III would start their season opener on Monday.

Griffin has been undergoing a regimented recovery schedule during pre-season having suffered a serious knee injury at the end of the previous campaign, with the quarterback publicly stating that he was unhappy with Shanahan's cautious approach.

However, Shanahan stated from the start that his sole aim was to get Griffin fit for the opening match of the season and, now that he has done that, he is bemused at the surprise shown from some sections of the media.

The surprise may stem from reported concerns raised by Griffin's doctor, James Andrews, but Shanahan insists that he has already taken them into account.

"I told you from day one Robert was going to be our starter unless there was a setback. I told you that for the last month, so I don't know why it's a surprise that Robert's our starter," Shanahan told reporters.

"All I said was I talked to Dr. Andrews, who gave him a physical and there were a couple concerns, and I shared that with Robert when he was in my office, and I told [the media] that after the game. So I don't think there's any big surprise that Robert is a starter."

The Redskins' first match of the season comes against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.