It wasn’t a pretty win, but it was a victory nonetheless. Manchester United claimed a 1-0 triumph, at home, over Fulham in their season opener, and Jadon Sancho played no part.
Sancho was left out of the squad entirely, and given that he’s been strongly linked with a potential move to Chelsea, or Paris Saint-Germain, speculation ran rampant as to the reason why.
According to manager Erik ten Hag, it was a fitness issue.
“First of all we need squad depth,” the Dutchman told reporters in postgame.
“There will be a decision, survival of the fittest. I can only put 20 players in the squad.
“Jadon in the week had an ear infection and was not 100 percent fit. He could play but we made choices. That can change.”
So Ten Hag sounds like he might be contradicting himself there, just a little bit. The Dutchman said that Jadon Sancho could have played, but also that he just wasn’t fit enough to play. Hmmmmmm.
There are still two weeks left in the summer transfer window.
Sancho featured prominently in the preseason, and no doubt that raised his market value, which had started to turn around after his starting assignment in the UEFA Champions League final.
A big transfer deal could be coming soon.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.