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Jadon Sancho is training away from Manchester United and will not return until he is physically and mentally ready to play for the club again.
Sancho has been working in the Netherlands with trusted coaches of his manager Erik ten Hag, and has not kicked a ball for United since October 22 due to illness. The 22-year-old missed the club’s training camp in Spain last week after he was left out of England’s World Cup squad.
Sancho, who joined United 18 months ago for £73m from Borussia Dortmund, shut down his social media accounts last month to focus on his family and the second half of the season, according to sources.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (right) has admitted he doesn’t know when £73m Jadon Sancho (second right) will return to action for the club in a stunning revelation.
Sancho has been training alone after missing the club’s mid-season training camp in Spain.
Ten Hag has spoken with the striker about his situation on several occasions and has not wanted to set a date for when Sancho will return to training.
“I don’t think I’ll be back this week, no,” Ten Hag said. We want to bring it back as quickly as possible, but I can’t give a forecast of when that will be. Sometimes there are circumstances with the physical form and mood. We have a drop in quality score and sometimes you don’t know why or what is causing it.
That’s what we’re doing now to try to get him back there. It is a combination of the physical and the mental.’
One of the most welcome images for England at this World Cup was of Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford shining again on the international stage.
Two of the three young black players who suffered horrific racist abuse after failing in a penalty shootout defeated by Italy in last summer’s Euro final were among the brightest stars on Gareth Southgate’s team in Qatar.
But what about the third player to miss from the spot at Wembley that night? Sancho grew up in the humble environment of the Dutch amateur club OJC Rosmalen, a long way from Qatar.
A short video surfaced last month of Sancho haggling between mannequins in the 3,000-capacity venue supervised by trainers recommended by his Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag.
A short video surfaced last month of Sancho haggling between mannequins alone.
Sancho has not played since October 22 due to illness and has raised concerns for the talented Londoner, more so after he shut down his social media accounts last month.
The 22-year-old headed there after a series of conversations with Ten Hag about his downfall in the form of this campaign.
Sancho has not played since October 22 due to illness and has raised concerns about the talented Londoner, more so after he shut down his social media accounts last month, with sources saying he did so to focus on his family and the second half of his life. the season.
United sources insist Sancho has not been sacked from the squad after he missed the club’s mid-season training camp in Spain last week.
They point out that Ten Hag noticed the drop in Sancho’s performances and advised him to follow an individual training program to improve his physical condition and mentality.
It has been described as a ‘reset’ for the player away from Carrington and the intense scrutiny of Old Trafford. Ten Hag confirmed on Tuesday that no deadlines have been set for Sancho’s return.
“I’ve had several conversations with Jadon and I don’t think he’ll be back this week, no,” Ten Hag said. ‘Sometimes there are circumstances with the physical form and the state of mind. He is now on a physical program and our goal is to get him back as quickly as possible. But I can’t give a forecast of when it will be.
Explaining Sancho’s absence from the trip to Spain, Ten Hag added: “He wasn’t fit enough to be there.” It is a combination of the physical and the mental.
Sancho was one of three English players who suffered horrendous racist abuse after having a penalty saved in the Euro Cup final against Italy in the summer of 2021.
Marcus Rashford (left) and Bukayo Saka (right) were also frustrated that day, but changed the shape of their clubs.
Sancho has only scored eight goals and provided four assists in 52 games for United. He has had a hard time justifying the 73 million pounds he paid Borussia Dortmund to sign him in July last year, 12 days after the Eurocup final at Wembley.
Like Rashford, Sancho had come on as a 120th-minute substitute to take a shot in the penalty shootout.
Unlike his United teammate, however, it’s not so easy to attribute Sancho’s subsequent troubles to the fallout from that night, which included racist posts on social media.
He was one of the best performers on United’s summer tour of Bangkok and Australia, scoring against Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa while forming an effective pairing on the right flank with Diogo Dalot.
Three more goals followed against Liverpool, Leicester and FC Sheriff in their first eight games of the season. But Ten Hag and his coaching staff noticed a significant drop in Sancho’s form and confidence after that.
While Antony’s £82m signing has made an instant impact, teenager Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying his breakout season and Rashford looks like a player reborn, Sancho has gone in the other direction.
“Most of the time it comes slowly,” Ten Hag said. “On tour he played well, and at the start of the league he played some good games like Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal. Then his performance was less. First you watch, but then the statistics back it up.
Teenage winger Alejandro Garnacho (pictured) enjoying a great season with United
‘At the beginning of the season, he had goals, assists, key moments and key actions and fewer and fewer.
‘We had a drop in quality level and that happens sometimes. You don’t know what is causing it. That’s what we’re doing now, trying to investigate and now we’re trying to get him back there.
“I think there is great competition for England. When you don’t show it week after week, you can be left out of the squad, which is what happened.’
Sancho has only played once for his country since the Eurocup final, against Andorra 14 months ago.
The road back will not be easy at United either. Cody Gakpo and Christian Pulisic are among the strikers linked with a move to Old Trafford in January.
There are no plans to get rid of Sancho, even if the club had a real chance of recouping its investment.
For now, United – and England – can only hope that a spell out of the spotlight is what Sancho needs to return to his best on and off the pitch.