It seems that the Jadon Sancho saga at Manchester United is never-ending. The forward has been out of the Manchester United squad ever since he publicly squared up to Erik ten Hag regarding his training. He was then given an ultimatum: either to apologize and get back to the team or to leave the club.
Sancho has not yet apologized for his behavior, with a January transfer exit very much possible. But the manager has now confusingly given a hint of a return, in a drastic turn of events.
Erik ten Hag creates confusion by announcing Jadon Sancho will be on UCL team
Manchester United next face FC Copenhagen as part of their Champions League group stage clash. Manager Erik ten Hag is in a lot of confusion as he has to choose his perfect team, with many key players out through injury.
In the pre-game press conference, he was asked whether the team would have anyone back from injury. He replied that one would come back. “Yes, we hope. I said it also last Friday, Sergio, [but] he got ill for Saturday. He was fit, trained all week last week. Yesterday he was back in training, today he will train and then we will have to assess if he is ready and game fit or if he can be involved in the squad.”
Now the text may say Sergio, but many fans and media outlets at the time thought that he said ‘Sancho’. The Englishman is not injured, but banished from all club and team activities until he apologizes to the manager. So, it was confusing at the time, as many were wondering why Jadon Sancho was being let back into the squad.
But in reality, the player that was being referred to was Sergio Reguilon, who is at Old Trafford on a season-long loan from Tottenham. Manchester United themselves clarified this information after many media outlets reported that Erik announced the return of Sancho to the squad. The Spanish left back has been injured ever since he arrived and could now make his return.
Jadon Sancho could now never return to the squad, and already many options for him to leave in January are open. The Dutch manager has already made it clear many times that the winger has to repent or leave. A loan deal is also possible, and former employers Borussia Dortmund could take him in.
Manchester United face FC Copenhagen in UCL
Whatever the situation with Jadon Sancho, United still has to face Copenhagen this Wednesday. It is the third match for the Red Devils in their UCL group stage, which so far has been disappointing for them.
Already, the team has lost their two opening matches, losing 4-3 to Bayern Munich and 3-2 to Turkish giants Galatasaray. This means that they are currently last in their group, with Copenhagen third due to drawing a match with Galatasaray.
The match is very important for Ten Hag, as if they lose or even draw the match, the chances of qualification get narrower. United fans won’t be happy if they lose out on the knockout stages, considering they have two fairly weak teams in comparison to their squad. Perhaps this is why many believed Sancho could return, as the manager may be desperate for a win.
The match will take place on Wednesday at Old Trafford, and the stakes will be high. But one thing is for sure and that is that Jadon Sancho won’t be there.
