Jadon Sancho missed the Manchester United’s season opening win over Fulham FC, due to an ear infection. That’s the club’s official party line, and it may indeed be true, but this information is being put forth at the same time that United are actively trying to ship him out. Whether it’s a fitness issue, or a transfer situation, or both, Sancho is a doubt for next week.
Whether the English forward is still with the club or not next weekend remains to be seen, but he’s being heavily linked with a move to Chelsea FC.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Aug 24, 12:30pm, Falmer Stadium, Brighton & Hove, UK
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Of course, Sancho to Chelsea is kind of a complicated idea, for many reasons. They’re adding Joao Felix, and plus they already have a very high-priced winger who didn’t make the cut for the England Euro 2024 squad, in Raheem Sterling. Another player who could be exiting before transfer window deadline day is Scott McTominay. Here is a link to the latest on that.
If a deal draws near, as the weekend approaches, then the Scottish midfielder could be left out of the squad this upcoming weekend.
Turning to fitness news, Victor Lindelof (undisclosed/unspecified issue) is a doubt for Saturday. Meanwhile Luke Shaw (foot), Rasmus Hojlund (hamstring) and Will Fish (foot) all remain out until after the September internationals.
Elsewhere Leny Yoro (foot) and Tyrell Malacia (knee) are out until at least mid-to-late autumn.
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 USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.