REVEALED: Some Manchester United staff believe Erik ten Hag could have handled Jadon Sancho situation better as £73m winger remains exiled… as it emerges food is brought to him from the first-team canteen in a lunch box

• Some feel Jadon Sancho would have reacted better to a conciliatory approach
• But Erik ten Hag’s refused to back down with Sancho exiled from the first-team
• Follow Mail Sport’s new Man United WhatsApp channel for all the breaking news 

Some staff members at Manchester United reportedly believe Erik ten Hag could have handled the Jadon Sancho situation more sensitively – with the £73million winger still in exile.

Sancho has been training either alone or with United’s academy players at Carrington since he essentially branded Ten Hag a liar over the reasons from his omission from the squad to face Arsenal back on September 3.

Despite attempts at mediation by United’s hierarchy, there appears little prospect of a reconciliation at the moment with Sancho unwilling to apologise for his social media comments.

The Athletic report that some at United believe Ten Hag could have handled the situation differently.

They argue that Sancho, 23, responds better to more of an arm-around-the-shoulder approach from managers and the situation could have been resolved had Ten Hag tried this.

Jadon Sancho remains exiled from the Manchester United first team after his fall-out with manager Erik ten Hag, with apparently little chance of a rapprochement at Old Trafford

Some staff reportedly believe Ten Hag could have handled the situation more sympathetically 

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But the Dutch coach feels his authority would be undermined if he gave Sancho another chance without a proper apology as he tries to restore lost standards at Old Trafford.

As Mail Sport reported last week, Sancho has to lock himself inside the academy dressing room when he changes into training kit because of safeguarding rules around underage players.

Banned from using the first-team canteen at Carrington, The Athletic said Sancho’s food is brought to him in a lunch box.

Despite the situation, Sancho is said to have made a good impression on the academy players he is now training alongside, watching under-18 fixtures and answering their questions.

Ahead of the Arsenal game, which United lost 3-1, Ten Hag asked players who wouldn’t make his starting XI to replicate the Gunners’ game on the training field.

Sancho was among the shadow XI and didn’t commit to the drill as Ten Hag expected.

This led to the England international being dropped from the matchday squad at the Emirates Stadium and Ten Hag going public about Sancho not performing well enough in training.

Sancho is forbidden from mixing or even eating with team-mates at United’s training ground

Ten Hag wanted Sancho to mimic Arsenal’s style of play in a training ground game ahead of Manchester United’s trip to the Emirates on September 3. The Gunners won the match 3-1

The player hit back on social media later that evening, contradicting Ten Hag’s comments and claiming he has been made into a ‘scapegoat’.

Despite Ten Hag sitting down with Sancho during the international break that followed the Arsenal game, an apology and retraction of the social media comments has not been forthcoming.

On September 11, Ten Hag took Sancho through videos and explained why his contributions in training had been lacking. This included the simulated match a team playing Arsenal’s style. 

Ten Hag was reportedly unhappy with Sancho’s pressing – something the player disagreed with.  

Sancho has now missed 10 United games in the weeks since.

With no return to the first-team imminent, it looks increasingly likely United will cut their losses in January on a player who signed just over two years ago.

Ten Hag did spark confusion on Monday in his press conference previewing Tuesday night’s Champions League game against Copenhagen.

Talking about team news, some thought Ten Hag said ‘Sancho’ as opposed to ‘Sergio’ Reguilon when mentioning returnees to the first-team fold.

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