Erik ten Hag held his usual Friday news conference, a few hours ago, and as you might expect, he was asked about the situations surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony, two players with massive off-the-pitch issues right now. We covered Sancho in the last post already, and with regard to Antony, the Dutchman said very little, but he did say that he has “no idea” when the Brazilian will return to the side.
Asked whether he had spoken with Antony after the club and player mutually agreed tp a leave of absence, Ten Hag added: “Of course, he is disappointed, but he is okay.”
Brighton & Hove Albion at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Sept. 16, 3pm, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
United Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
PL Position, Form: Manchester United 11th, 6 pts, LWLW Brighton 6th, 9 pts, WLWW
Google Result Probability: Manchester United 44% Draw 25% Brighton 21%
Antony stands accused of perpetrating physical abuse by three different women; one of which is an ex-girlfriend who made multiple assault claims against him. Antony maintains that he had not committed any wrongdoing. There was better news to come out of this media session however, in regards to United player availability.
Ten Hag confirmed that two central defenders who were injury doubts, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez, are in fact match fit and available for selection versus Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow.
However, Raphael Varane and Mason Mount, out injured since week two, will remain absent tomorrow. Ten Hag said that both are convalescing well in their comebacks though:
“No [neither are ready to play against Brighton], but both are in a good place for a return.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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