There will have been many fans surprised to see Jadon Sancho back with Manchester United this season, given his fallout with manager Erik ten Hag last summer.
After a Premier League defeat to Arsenal last September, ten Hag explained why Sancho had been left out of his matchday squad, suggesting that the winger had not applied himself as well in training as some of his rivals for game time.
Sancho did not take kindly to the criticism, calling ten Hag out indirectly on Twitter before before banished from the first-team squad and sent out on loan to former club Borussia Dortmund.
However, the pair would unexpectedly seem to put their differences behind them this summer, with Sancho returning to the United set-up for their pre-season tour of the United States.
The Englishman was missing from the squad for the Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday night, though that was due to illness and he is back in contention for selection for the trip to Brighton this weekend.
Despite the apparent rekindling of the relationship between ten Hag and Sancho, the Manchester United manager gave a pointed response when asked about the potential game time Sancho can expect to enjoy this season.
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Erik ten Hag had stern response to Jadon Sancho press conference question
Jadon Sancho in action for Manchester United in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal (Photo: Shutterstock)
In his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon, Erik ten Hag was asked whether United fans could expect to see Jadon Sancho in action against Brighton on Saturday afternoon.
We will see.
We have a squad, and I hope we'll have a squad with double positioning. When we go into the season after the first of September, that means also you can't select all the players for a game.
But you need them all throughout the season because this season will be the survival of the fittest.
We have to manage it but also the attitude of the players is very important. Sometimes they will be disappointed, but they have to deal with it.
You don't win with an XI, you win with a squad. The prizes are decided next May and, until then, we need all the players in the squad highly motivated to contribute. That is not an expectation, that is a demand from the club and from me as manager to the squad. The team is always more important than any individual.
Given how the situation with Jadon Sancho played out last season, it certainly feels like something of a pointed remark from Erik ten Hag.
It will be fascinating to see what kind of role the 24-year-old plays this season, and whether he will still be a Manchester United player come the end of the transfer window.
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