Manchester United

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag 'sent Jadon Sancho different schedule to address timekeeping issues'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 13 September 2023

Ten Hag 'sent Sancho different schedule to address timekeeping issues'

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag allegedly sent Jadon Sancho a different schedule compared to the rest of the squad to address timekeeping issues.

Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho allegedly received a different training schedule to his teammates last season.

Having just begun his third season at Old Trafford, there had been hope that Sancho would finally start to justify the vast financial outlay that United committed on his signature in 2021.

However, rather than having the opportunity to improve on 12 goals and six assists from 82 appearances in all competitions, the England international appears in line for a stint on the sidelines.

The 23-year-old was left out of the United squad for the Premier League fixture at Arsenal earlier this month, Ten Hag going on to criticise the training standards of the player.

Within hours of those comments, Sancho responded on social media, dismissing Ten Hag's opinion and claiming that he had been made to be "a scapegoat".

Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho on July 30, 2023 © Reuters

Although the pair are believed to have since spoken on their issues, and the social media post in question having been removed, it has been suggested that a resolution has not been found, theoretically leaving Sancho out of contention for first-team football.

If a compromise is not found in due course, Sancho is expected to depart the Theatre of Dreams in January, either on loan or a permanent basis.

According to The Athletic, the problems between the pair stem far longer than their recent exchange with Sancho's timekeeping said to have caused friction.

The report suggests that there were several occasions when Sancho did not adhere to Ten Hag's plans last season, resulting in the Dutchman attempting to resolve the situation.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag on July 19, 2023 © Reuters

Ten Hag is said to have set his schedule at least an hour earlier than the rest of the squad, a strategy which had limited success before the effect wore off.

Furthermore, it is claimed that Sancho was 'not always professional' during his time at Dortmund, it alleged that he sometimes missed team meetings.

Prior to being omitted for the match with the Gunners, Sancho had been limited to just 76 minutes of football across three games in the top flight.

Even with Antony unavailable for the foreseeable future, reports have indicated that Sancho will remain down the pecking order, preference instead going to the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri.