MANCHESTER UNITED manager Erik ten Hag went to great lengths in a bid to combat Jadon Sancho's timekeeping issues last season, reports claim.
The Dutchman dropped Sancho from his matchday squad prior to United's Premier League clash with Arsenal earlier this month.
Ten Hag cited the winger's "performances in training" for the omission, which prompted him to hit back with a social media statement.
In the statement – which has now been deleted – Sancho claimed he was being made a "scapegoat".
He wrote: "I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week.
"I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!"
Read More on Football
England fans spot Maguire ‘marking his own team-mate’ for Ukraine goal
Get £20 in free bets when you stake £5 on football with Ladbrokes
Reports last week suggested that Sancho's Man Utd teammates "had enough" of him.
Ten Hag has also grown increasingly frustrated with the winger.
According to The Athletic, issues between the United boss and Sancho date back to last season, when Ten Hag attempted to combat the 23-year-old's timekeeping issues by setting him a schedule at least one hour earlier than the rest of the squad.
While the tactic had some initial success in getting Sancho to arrive on time, it reportedly didn't last.
Most read in Football
JOE BLOW
Awkward moment Joe Cole is left shocked by Souness’ bold England call
ENTER THE DRAGON
Man Utd confirm new kit sponsor but fans fear it means Glazers are staying
SCOTLAND 1 ENGLAND 3
Bellingham stars as Three Lions beat rivals in tense Glasgow friendly
SCOTLAND 1 ENGLAND 3
Bellingham on fire as Three Lions smash Scots despite Maguire shocker
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
An unnamed source from Sancho's former club Borussia Dortmund also told The Athletic that the England international could be "quite unprofessional" at times during his spell in Germany.
Claims suggest that he occasionally overslept and missed team meetings which prompted a member of staff to knock on his hotel room door most mornings.
Following his public spat with Ten Hag, Sancho was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
However, talks collapsed after Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq refused to agree on a £50million obligation to buy following an initial loan.
Source: Read Full Article