Erik ten Hag unsure whether Jadon Sancho will play for Man Utd again
- Sancho is training away from the first team after clashing with Ten Hag
- Winger publicly claimed to have been made a 'scapegoat' after being dropped
- He has refused to apologise to Ten Hag
By Tom Gott
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted he "does not know" whether Jadon Sancho will ever play for the club again after the pair's public falling-out.
Sancho was dropped from the squad which fell 3-1 to Arsenal before the international break, with Ten Hag claiming the 23-year-old's poor performances in training were behind his controversial decision.
That accusation was publicly challenged by Sancho, who claimed on social media that he had been made a "scapegoat" at the club in a post which remained live for over a week before being taken down.
Ten Hag discussed his decision to discipline Sancho during a press conference on Friday but he has now cast doubt over whether the England international will ever feature for the club again.
"I don’t know," Ten Hag responded when asked if Sancho would play for United again. "I am sitting here. [On Saturday] we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.
"I don’t know [how long the disciplinary issue will take] but, as I say, I don’t think about that. I think about [Saturday]. I think about the way the team has to progress. We go to Champions League. I have a lot to consider to make the right decisions.
"I don’t think this subject is important. I think what is important is I have to prepare my team. So that’s what I do.
"It is also not about me, it is about the team and the club. I put my energy into giving the best performance against Brighton. I prepare my team the best I can, I put all my effort into the players who are available. He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute."
90min understands United have been left disappointed by Sancho's reaction to being dropped. The winger has refused to apologise for his post and was further concerned by United's willingness to engage in talks around possibly selling him late in the summer transfer window.
Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ettifaq failed with an ambitious move last month but former employers Borussia Dortmund are considering a possible reunion with Sancho.
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