Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he will be patient reintroducing Jadon Sancho to his team as footballers are not robots. Sancho is currently following an individual training programme devised to get him back to the level required to play in the Premier League. Sancho has struggled for form since his £73m move to United from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021 although he impressed during United’s pre-season trip to Thailand and Australia.
Ten Hag has described Sancho as not fit enough. The England winger has not featured for United since the 1-1 Premier League draw at Chelsea on 22 October with the club winning nine of their 10 matches in all competitions in the 22-year-old’s absence.
Sancho’s form and confidence dipped around the September international break, despite his goal ratio being significantly higher this season than in his first season at United. Sancho recently spent time in the Netherlands working with coaches Ten Hag is familiar with, hoping to find the spark that will get his United career back on track.
The Manchester United manager says Sancho is making progress and is ready for the next step, but no timetable for his return to first-team duties has been set. With Manchester United playing Everton in the FA Cup on Friday before facing League One Charlton Athletic in a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash on Tuesday, the usual glut of January fixtures means squad depth will be tested at Old Trafford but Ten Hag is more concerned that Sancho’s recovery is not rushed.