Manchester United’s lead coach, Erik ten Hag, is said to be expecting an apology from Jadon Sancho after the player’s contentious remarks on social media. Sancho was absent from the team sheet in the Red Devils’ loss to Arsenal prior to the international hiatus, a decision attributed to his underwhelming training sessions.
Upon hearing Ten Hag’s justification for his omission, Sancho expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, implying that he’s been unjustly blamed for quite a while and that the coach’s justifications were “utterly false”. By Tuesday, Sancho had retracted his post.
Rumours had floated about a potential temporary move for Sancho to Saudi Arabia as the transfer window was drawing to a close, yet he chose to remain at Old Trafford. It’s believed that a heart-to-heart conversation took place between Sancho and Ten Hag during the international interval.
The club has since announced on its official site that, until a team discipline matter is settled, Sancho “will continue on an individual training regimen, away from the main squad”.
As per a Sky Sports News update, Ten Hag is allegedly holding out for Sancho’s apology, both to himself and the team, prior to giving him the green light to return to full training. The news piece further suggests that Ten Hag remains steadfast in his stance, unwilling to let his position at the club be undermined.
An independent article from The Athletic purports that Sancho, having not extended an apology to Ten Hag, has been relegated from primary training and won’t be on the roster, starting with the forthcoming Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion.
In the backdrop of this, it is rumoured that United’s football director, John Murtough, and CEO, Richard Arnold, are manoeuvring discretely to mediate between the two parties.
Reflecting on the past, Sancho took a sabbatical from United near the last season’s culmination for personal reasons and is now bracing for yet another hiatus till matters are squared away.
Despite the lofty expectations since his £75m transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, Sancho hasn’t quite soared at Old Trafford. His record stands at 12 goals and six assists in 82 outings.
Although he displayed promise in the pre-season, his Premier League appearances this season were limited to three off-the-bench stints prior to being sidelined for the Arsenal match.
Adding to United’s selection woes, within a mere five-day span, Sancho has become the second player, following Antony, to be sidelined. Antony’s absence is due to pending investigations into assault allegations against him.
