Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has stated that he does not know if Jadon Sancho would return to the club
The 23-year-old winger is practicing away from the first team after claiming he was made a “scapegoat” for his exclusion from the squad for the 3 September defeat at Arsenal.
Ten Hag stated at the time that he was kicked out because his training performance was subpar.
When asked if he could return to the club, Ten Hag replied, “I don’t know.”
Sancho made the remark in a social media post that he later deleted.
Ten Hag added: “Tomorrow we have a big game [at home to Brighton], we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed program. I focus on that.
“He is not available, so at this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”
Manchester United has had a mixed season in the Premier League, winning at home against Wolves and Nottingham Forest but losing away to Tottenham and Arsenal.
Last season, Ten Hag demonstrated his willingness to make huge decisions for the squad by benching Cristiano Ronaldo when he refused to come on as a substitute in a game against Tottenham in October 2022.
Ronaldo, like Sancho, was then forced to practice alone, and despite returning to the first-team fold, the Portugal star quit in November of that year after delivering a controversial interview criticizing Manchester United.
Ten Hag emphasized on Friday that the team is more essential than any single player, saying,
That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team.
“I don’t think about that [Sancho’s social media post] and I don’t talk about that, because I have to win a game. It is all about that.
“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them, it is about that. I only focus on the players who are available.”
