Explained: Why Jadon Sancho feels he has been made a scapegoat at Man Utd under Erik ten Hag

The England international forward has been thrust back under the spotlight at Old Trafford after being left out of the Red Devils’ squad for a Premier League clash with Arsenal. Ten Hag has claimed that decision was taken on the back of performances in training.

Sancho has responded with a statement of his own, claiming that he has “been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair” while defending his actions behind the scenes and maintaining that he wants to “play football with a smile on my face”. He may face consequences for speaking out against his manager.

It is, however, being claimed by i news that Sancho feels unfairly treated by his Dutch coach. The 23-year-old has not been in the best of form himself since completing a £75 million ($94m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, but he is struggling to understand how others are “getting a game every week”.

Sancho is said to be looking for an opportunity to prove his worth, having been given time by Ten Hag to work on his fitness, but those chances have not materialised. Instead, the likes of Antony and Anthony Martial have continued to see game time despite facing plenty of questions regarding their uninspiring performances. Sancho has seen just 76 minutes of action this season across three substitute appearances.