Jadon Sancho has returned to training at Manchester United after a clear-the-air meeting with manager Erik ten Hag and could resurrect his career at Old Trafford.
The winger, who United hope to sell this summer, had spent four months training with the Under-18s last season and not being allowed to even enter the first-team building at the club’s Carrington complex after a falling out.
Ten Hag had wanted an apology after Sancho in effect branded him a liar in his explanation for omitting the England international for September’s defeat to Arsenal and, despite being encouraged to say sorry by senior teammates, the 24-year-old had refused.
It led to an extended impasse when Sancho did not play for United and then went on loan to Borussia Dortmund for the second half of last season and it appeared he would not play for the FA Cup winners again under Ten Hag.
But following United’s decision to retain Ten Hag, Sancho will be back in contention for selection now, though he will miss Monday’s friendly against Rosenberg because he is a few days behind the players who started training earlier in the week.
The 24-year-old, who cost United £73m in 2021, has scored 12 goals in 82 games for the club, the last of them in August.
But then Ten Hag dropped him from his squad for the game at the Emirates Stadium, saying it was due to Sancho’s “performances in training”.
And the forward responded with a social media post in which he said he had been made a “scapegoat for a long time” and stated: “I will not allow people saying things that are completely untrue.” He was then banished from the first-team picture at Old Trafford, returning on loan to his former club Borussia Dortmund and helping them reach the Champions League final.
Sancho was a player United had looked to sell this summer, valuing him at £40m, to try and raise money to buy at least one centre-back, a midfielder and a forward.