Erik ten Hag gives blunt reply over Jadon Sancho's possible return

‘No’: Erik ten Hag gives blunt reply when asked if he knows when Jadon Sancho will be back at Man United as £73m winger continues to train away from the club – after boss said last week he wasn’t ‘physically or mentally’ ready to return

  • Jadon Sancho missed Manchester United’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Burnley
  • Erik ten Hag refused to be drawn on when Sancho could return for his side
  • Ten Hag said last week that Sancho wasn’t yet ready to return to the squad
  • Sancho has spent time in the Netherlands undergoing an individual programme 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has refused to be drawn on Jadon Sancho’s possible return, as the winger continues to train away from the club.

Sancho was not available for selection as United secured a 2-0 win over Burnley at Old Trafford to advance to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Ten Hag was asked post-match whether he had an update on Sancho’s possible return, with the Dutchman responding ‘No’.

Erik ten Hag has refused to be drawn on Jadon Sancho’s possible return to Manchester United

Sancho has been undergoing an individual training programme in the Netherlands

The United boss also replied ‘no’ when asked if there was a timescale for the 22-year-old’s potential comeback.

Ten Hag said last week that Sancho ‘wasn’t mentally ready’ to return to action, with the winger undergoing an individual training programme in the Netherlands on his recommendation.

‘I don’t think he will be back this week, no,’ Ten Hag last week. ‘We want to bring him back as quickly as possible, but I can’t give a prognosis of when that will be. 

‘Sometimes there are circumstances with fitness and mood. We got a drop of quality level and sometimes you don’t know why or what is causing it.

‘That is what we are doing now to try to get him back there. It is a combination of physically and mentally.’ 

The individual programme came after Sancho was left out of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The aim is to restore Sancho to peak fitness, especially mentally, and try to rediscover the form he showed during the opening part of the season.

Sancho did not travel to Spain with other United players not at the World Cup for a warm weather training camp, as well as missing friendlies against Cadiz and Real Betis.

Man United fixtures 

Premier League unless stated

December 27 Nottingham Forest (H)

December 31 Wolves (A)

January 3 Bournemouth (H)

January 6 Everton (H)

FA Cup third round

January 14 Manchester City (H)

He has instead been training with a coach trusted by Ten Hag at Dutch amateur club OJC Rosmalen, with a brief video emerging showing him dribbling around training mannequins.

Sancho, who joined United for £73million in 2021, last appeared for the club in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on October 22, before being sidelined with an illness.

Ten Hag’s side emerged as 2-0 winners over Burnley in their first competitive match since the World Cup, with Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford on target.

The Red Devils will be embarking on a busy schedule over the Christmas and New Year period.

United host Nottingham Forest on their return to Premier League action on December 27 before travelling to Wolves on New Year’s Eve.

Ten Hag’s side follow that up with a home game against Bournemouth on January 3 and a FA Cup third round tie at home to Everton on January 6.




Share this article


Source: Read Full Article