Ten Hag unsure if Sancho will play for United again

Erik ten Hag © Getty Images

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he does not know whether Jadon Sancho will play for the club again amid the forward’s exile from the first team over a disciplinary issue.

Sancho, 23, is training away from United’s first team after saying in a now-deleted statement on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” following his omission from the squad for the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on 3 September.

Ten Hag stated at the time that Sancho had been left out because of his poor performance in training.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday before United host Brighton & Hove Albion, the Dutch coach did not confirm if Sancho remains a part of his long-term plans at the club.

“I don’t know,” Ten Hag said when asked whether Sancho will play for United again. “He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.

“(The decision) is not about me. 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

“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them. I only focus on the players who are available.”

United are 11th in the Premier League standings, three points behind sixth-placed Brighton before Saturday’s game at Old Trafford.