Following Manchester United’s impressive 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup, manager Erik ten Hag delivered a direct message regarding the club’s exiled star, Jadon Sancho.
Despite Manchester United’s commanding performance, Sancho was notably absent from the squad. The English winger has been out of action this month, ever since he publicly stated on social media that he has “been a scapegoat for a long time.” Sancho’s statement came as a response to Ten Hag’s earlier claim that he was excluded from the squad due to subpar performance in training.
When questioned about Sancho’s potential return to the squad, Erik ten Hag offered a concise response, as reported by Goal: “I don’t know, it’s up to him. I don’t comment on players who are not available.”
A Sky Sports report indicated that the Professional Footballers’ Association had extended their support to Jadon Sancho, while several senior footballers at Manchester United attempted to mediate the situation. Although some players expressed sympathy for Sancho, they believed that his decision to share the now-deleted post on social media was inappropriate.
In his social media post, the 23-year-old wrote, “I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into; I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn’t fair.”
Amidst this ongoing dispute with Erik ten Hag, Jadon Sancho deactivated his Instagram account. Reports suggest that Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw have encouraged Sancho to apologize in an attempt to resolve the feud with Ten Hag.
While a resolution may not be imminent, a Bild report suggests that Manchester United’s team management is contemplating a cut-price deal to let Sancho go in the January transfer window, with a possible return to Borussia Dortmund on the table. Sancho has made only three appearances in the Premier League, accumulating 76 minutes on the field.
In their upcoming fixture, Manchester United is set to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The Red Devils currently occupy the ninth position in the Premier League standings with nine points from six games.