Erik ten Hag is expected to have a “direct face-to-face discussion” with Jadon Sancho after the disgruntled Manchester United star dropped a bombshell statement, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Sancho was absent from United’s squad for the trip to the Emirates on Sunday, with the Red Devils suffering a 3-1 defeat to Premier League rivals Arsenal.
The 23-year-old United winger came off the bench for the Red Devils’ opening three Premier League fixtures against Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.
But Ten Hag revealed that his reason for not picking Sancho for the Gunners clash came down to the player not reaching the “level” expected from him in training.
Sancho immediately took to social media and hit back in a statement, saying he conducted himself “very well in training” and would “continue to fight for this badge.”
READ MORE: Jadon Sancho problems at Dortmund and England: What happened with Manchester United winger
Romano’s update on Ten Hag and Sancho situation
Speaking on his YouTube channel, transfer news expert Romano expertly broke down the “tense situation” at United involving Ten Hag and Sancho.
“So, a really tense situation and what I can mention is that this tension around Jadon Sancho was already there in the last two, three weeks,” he said.
“It’s something that [those who are close to] Manchester United know very well because Erik ten Hag — and not just Erik ten Hag himself but also other people into his staff — were not so happy with the level of training of Jadon Sancho, so they were expecting something different.
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“But it’s also true that Jadon Sancho’s position is very clear. He believes that there is something else not related to his training performances and this is why he was not selected for the game with Arsenal. He doesn’t want to mention that, as he said in the public statement, but the situation looks tense between Ten Hag and Sancho.
“Also, Ten Hag believes that he did his best for Sancho to help him in a difficult moment last season, so he wants Jadon Sancho to perform in the best way possible, otherwise he’s not going to be part of the squad.
“But from Jadon Sancho’s side, he insists… and obviously, guys, we journalists are not at the training ground to see the training sessions, so that’s the point, but speaking to sources, also who are close to Sancho, insist that he’s doing his best and they believe that it was a different decision.
“We have to see how it will evolve. For sure the situation remains tense. We can also confirm from Manchester United that the answer after the statement [from] Sancho was like the message from the manager after the [Arsenal match] was pretty clear and we stand with what the manager said in the press conference.
“[…] Of course, now [it] is expected a direct face-to-face discussion between Ten Hag and Sancho to clarify this issue already this week.”
Sancho wants to play with ‘smile on my face’
Sancho stunned United fans with the release of his statement, with the former Borussia Dortmund star claiming that he has been a “scapegoat for a long time.”
The England international was absent from United for up to three months in the previous campaign due to his battling of physical and mental issues.
Posting in his statement, Sancho said: “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team.
“I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge.
“I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what.”