Jadon Sancho has been banished from Manchester United's first-team squad after refusing to apologize to Erik ten Hag's demand for a public apology. Sancho feels that he has been a victim of double standards at the club and is unlikely to be involved in United's Premier League game against Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday. Ten Hag has adopted a hardline stance after Sancho refused to apologise publicly for a social media post in which he accused his manager of lying over the reasons for his absence in the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on September 3.
Sancho also believes there have been notable inconsistencies in the way Ten Hag has applied certain rules in relation to him compared to team-mates. This is one reason why Sancho claimed he has been made "a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair" in his outburst on social media at Ten Hag.
John Murtough, the United football director, and the club's chief executive Richard Arnold have been at the center of efforts to resolve the dispute. Sancho finally removed his controversial social media post on Tuesday but there is still no resolution in his row with the manager as the player refuses to back down. There is also unhappiness on Sancho's part that Ten Hag went public in the first place with his grievances and it has been reported the Dutchman did not have permission to make public reference to the player's mental health struggles last season.
United has announced that Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training program away from the first team group pending resolution of a squad discipline issue. Antony, the second United forward unavailable to Ten Hag, returned to United's Carrington training base on Monday and held talks with Ten Hag in person for the first time since their public spat flared.
Sancho was included in the 25-man Premier League squad that United submitted on Wednesday but it remains to be seen what the disciplinary investigation yields. The likely absence of Sancho in addition to Antony against Brighton comes at a time when United are already without the injured Mason Mount, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, and have doubts over the fitness of Lisandro Martinez.
Antony, 23, has not been suspended by United and remains on full pay but will not train or be considered for selection until further notice after agreeing with the club that it is in the best interest of both parties that his presence does not become a "distraction" and does not create "unnecessary controversy."
