Inside Sancho's Man Utd exile as star prevented from mingling with team-mates
Right now, it's hard to see Jadon Sancho playing for Manchester United again.
As exclusively revealed by Mirror Football, the 23-year-old winger has been exiled from all first-team facilities at United's Carrington training ground. He isn't even allowed to mingle with his team-mates in the dining room, such is the severity of the situation.
United fans will wonder how Sancho found himself in such a sticky situation. He was supposed to become a superstar at Old Trafford following his £73million move from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021 after scoring 38 goals and providing 51 assists in just 104 Bundesliga games. Yet the Englishman will be fortunate to find an exit route in January.
The situation is also dire for United, however. Erik ten Hag is currently missing two first-team wingers after Antony was given a leave of absence following allegations of domestic abuse were made against him. Antony denies the allegations.
Sancho was axed by United ahead of their Premier League game against Arsenal earlier this month. In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag said the player was left out of their 20-man matchday squad because of his poor performances in training.
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"On his performance on training we didn't select him," said the United boss following their 3-1 loss. "You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game he wasn't selected."
Yet it didn't take long for Sancho to dispute his manager's comments on social media: "Please don't believe everything you read!" he wrote.
"I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue. I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't get into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!"
Sancho was a superstar at Borussia Dortmund - but has failed to replicate his form at Old Trafford (Getty Images)What do you make of Erik ten Hag's row with Jadon Sancho? Let us know in the comments below!
Sancho's response divided United fans. While many supporters thought he was within his rights to defend himself, others believed he undermined his boss. Ten Hag certainly took the latter stance and banished the international from first-team training.
Sancho isn't allowed to use any of the facilities reserved for first-team stars and has to eat alongside the academy players. The player is said to be unhappy about his manager's stance, but Ten Hag will not budge until the axed ace apologises.
This isn't the first time Sancho has clashed with Ten Hag. It's believed he's turned up late for training on several occasions, with the Dutchman taking a zero tolerance approach to tardiness. Marcus Rashford was dropped to the bench when he turned up late to a team meeting last year. Rashford responded by scoring the winner against Wolves.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) have offered to mediate the row, but the impasse between Sancho and Ten Hag remains for now. A source told Mirror Football: "There is an easy way to resolve this situation, which is for Jadon to say sorry to the manager. Something has to give - and it won't be the manager."
The England international is now training alone (Getty Images)There was a belief that Sancho could force his way back into first-team training thanks to FIFA's regulations. According to global football's governing body, a club asking a player to train on their own may be viewed as "abusive conduct" in the workplace.
United are obliged to provide a sufficient standard of training and physical fitness for Sancho. Yet the three-time European champions are confident that threshold has been met by giving the player dedicated fitness coaches during this troubling time.
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Ten Hag was asked about Sancho's future after United's 3-0 win against Crystal Palace on Wednesday. He refused to "talk about players who are not available".
United's CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough are fully behind Ten Hag. What makes the situation even tougher for Sancho is his poor form. He's scored just nine goals and provided six assists in 58 Premier League games since joining United.
Ten Hag's decision to exile Sancho is thought to be a last resort. At best, the former Manchester City youngster is in Old Trafford's Last Chance Saloon. At worst, he's heading out of the Wild West of England when the transfer window re-opens.
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