Manchester United attacker Jadon Sancho is reportedly at risk of being cast asunder by Erik ten Hag following his public criticism of the Red Devils head coach.
Sancho was a notable absentee from his side's 3-1 loss to Arsenal at the weekend, where Daniel Gore, Hannibal Mejbri, Facundo Pellistri and Alejandro Garnacho were all selected on the bench ahead of him.
No news had emerged of a potential injury for the English attacker, and Ten Hag confirmed after the game that he had cut Sancho from the ranks owing to a series of underwhelming performances in training.
The Dutchman's version of events was disputed by Sancho, though, as the 23-year-old took to social media to deny Ten Hag's claims about his attitude in training and said that he was being made a "scapegoat".
Neither the club nor Ten Hag have officially responded to Sancho's revelations, but the Man United boss is alleged to have felt 'let down' by his player's comments, and the pair are not expected to meet face-to-face to clear the air.
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However, Ten Hag has never shied away from taking strict disciplinary action against players who fall foul of the rule book, ostracising Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad and also dropping Marcus Rashford to the bench after he turned up late for a team meeting.
As a result, The Mirror reports that Ten Hag is considering exiling Sancho from the first-team group and forcing him to train away from the main troupe of players in the wake of his comments.
Sancho was unsurprisingly not called up to the England squad for September's international fixtures with Ukraine and Scotland, and it has now been almost two years since his last Three Lions appearance.
The former Borussia Dortmund man is due to report back at Carrington for training next week following a brief recuperation period, but he could very well be barred from taking part in first-team sessions.
Sancho has flattered to deceive in a Man United jersey since the Red Devils won the race to sign the formerly in-demand attacker in 2021, paying Dortmund £73m for his services.
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The England international had a direct hand in 114 goals in 137 matches for the Bundesliga side, but he has just 12 goals and six assists under his belt from 82 matches in a Man United shirt.
A disrupted 2022-23 season saw Sancho fall behind Antony in the pecking order, while he spent a few months away from the competitive limelight to focus on overcoming physical and mental issues.
Before being dropped from the squad entirely, Sancho had come off the bench in Man United's opening three games versus Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur but failed to make an impact in any of those matches.
The winger is still contracted to the Red Devils for another three years, and Chelsea apparently turned down the chance to sign him as part of a summer deal for Marc Cucurella.
Ben Knapton
