Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed his support for Jadon Sancho after Gareth Southgate decided to snub the winger for the England team travelling to Qatar.
Three United players were included in Southgate’s final roster: Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire. Sancho may not have performed well enough in the eyes of England’s coaching staff to earn a seat on the flight.
It is unknown if the Englishman, who has recently missed a few games for the Red Devils due to sickness, will be available for selection against Fulham. Ten Hag expressed sympathy for Sancho ahead of the Fulham match, but he also hinted that he understood Southgate’s decision not to choose the United winger.
Speaking to the clubs official website, he said:
“He [Sancho] has had some really good performances and was going in a good direction. But the last weeks he struggled with illness. Then it’s normal that you don’t get the nomination for it [the World Cup]. Every manager will take only fit players to the World Cup.”
Sancho will face competition to regain his spot in the starting XI when he returns back to club football. Alejandro Garnacho has gained huge attention and built a legitimate claim to being a regular under Ten Hag’s direction.
Due to Anthony Martial’s comeback, Marcus Rashford will probably move back to the left, where Sancho prefers to play. Rashford is in fantastic shape and deserves to stay in the starting lineup. On the other side, Ten Hag’s remarks imply that Sancho’s drop in form was due to his fitness issues.
Sancho should utilise the World Cup break to reassess his weaknesses and return with a bang.
