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Erik ten Hag raised concerns at Manchester United for publicly revealing Jadon Sancho’s battle with mental issues in December, according to reports. Ten Hag and Sancho’s relationship has been launched into the spotlight throughout the international break after their public spat earlier this month.
At the end of last year, Ten Hag confirmed that the United winger was set for a spell on the sidelines due to ‘physical and mental’ factors.
Sancho was absent for five months, previously being ruled out through injury in October before the situation escalated.
Ten Hag personally arranged for the 23-year-old to prepare for a return in the Netherlands with private coaches, which drew widespread praise.
But according to The Athletic, figures behind the scenes at United were concerned by the Dutchman’s decision to admit to the media that Sancho faced a mental battle.
Ten Hag allegedly didn’t have permission to publicise the information, so his honest reasoning was viewed as inappropriate at Old Trafford.
But he is said to hold the strong opinion that physical and mental fitness are crucial components to playing football at an elite level.
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And the report claims that Ten Hag believed his words acted as support for Sancho and that it would be difficult to falsely cite an injury as the reason for his prolonged absence.
Despite the internal concerns about Ten Hag, he exited the incident looking well off after a revived Sancho returned in February.
The United No 25 donned a bright smile as he shared a joke with his manager before taking to the pitch in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.
After the 2-0 win – making the aggregate scoreline 5-0 – he returned to social media after months of silence, posting: “Wow! Just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support I’ve received over the past few weeks, especially to the fans.
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“My focus is to give my all to my team and the club. I’m so happy to be back out on the pitch. See you soon.”
His fortunes further improved in his next appearance, scoring the equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Leeds United.
But seven months on, the situation couldn’t be more contrasting. Sancho’s United future is in limbo after effectively calling Ten Hag a liar on social media over his Arsenal exclusion.
The pair have reportedly held showdown talks at Carrington this week, but the Dutchman will not have taken kindly to such a public challenge of his authority.
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