Manchester United's squad size has changed already and is set to change again

It is doubtful that Manchester United will ever release their squad photo given who is conspicuous by his absence.

Jadon Sancho was not invited to the shoot amid his exile from the first-team squad. It has been almost six weeks since he accused his manager of lying and the closest he has come to an apology has been deleting the offending post he had passive-aggressively pinned to his Twitter profile.

United are sensitive about their handling of Sancho and a member of the Professional Footballers' Association has visited Carrington. Whatever Sancho's gripes, he is in the wrong and sympathy from clued-up matchgoers is in short supply. Erik ten Hag is treating Sancho questions with short shrift.

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Nobody realistically expects Sancho to appear in a United shirt again and he shouldn't. Even if he were to apologise to Ten Hag now, it would be so belated the contrition would hardly be sincere.

Sancho remains on the first team section of the United website, which lists 31 available players. Shola Shoretire, on loan at League One Bolton last season still remains seemingly out of politeness. So really, it is a 30-man squad.

With Sancho persona non grata, it is whittled down to 29. Donny van de Beek unmemorably and briefly resurfaced last month and his recognition as a 'first-teamer' is tantamount to tokenism. Ten Hag made five attacking changes in an attempt to salvage the game against Brentford and wisely steered clear of Van de Beek, an unused substitute for the 49th time in his United career.

United hoped the extended transfer window in Turkey would see someone take Van de Beek off their hands, as Besiktas did