Two different timings with Jadon Sancho's return to Manchester United raise more questions

There is a new chief communications officer at Manchester United but the club still has a tendency to pick dubious times to bury good or bad news.

A club staff member leaked news that Erik ten Hag would be staying at gone 10pm on a Tuesday night. Jadon Sancho's unexpected return to training was announced at 5.30pm on Friday.

Sancho was pictured in training on Thursday yet United waited until the graveyard slot to press publish. Workplace attentiveness is at a weekly low on Friday afternoons and evenings and it is the absolute trough for the news cycle.

The Thursday return date would have been very deliberate. The morning after England reached the European Championship final and no photographers lurking at the Carrington security barriers. When Sancho returned after his public outburst in September, he attempted to conceal his face.

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Club sources say Sancho reflected on past issues in his meeting with Ten Hag, the pair agreed to draw a line and move on. United's focus is for Sancho to take a full part in pre-season.

United refused to, or could not say, if Sancho had apologised to Ten Hag for accusing him of lying. Or whether he would be kept or sold.

Had Sancho apologised for his incendiary post on X, formerly Twitter, that he pinned to his page, then he would not have been banished to the academy building, where he had to get changed in a locked room for safeguarding reasons.

Now it's over to you, Erik. Just like last season, Ten Hag will have to field probing questions on Sancho. This is unfair on Ten Hag, who was in an invidious position often enough during Sancho's exile.

Ten Hag