Manchester United have been in a “mess” following recent developments surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony at Old Trafford, as journalist Dean Jones provides GIVEMESPORT with his verdict on whether the latter will continue to be selected.
Erik ten Hag has endured a tumultuous few days in charge of the Red Devils following their defeat at Arsenal last Sunday.
Man Utd news – Jadon Sancho and Antony
Following Man Utd’s 3-1 loss at the Emirates Stadium, ten Hag was questioned as to why Sancho wasn’t involved in the matchday squad for the Sunday afternoon clash. The Dutchman claimed the £73m star hadn’t trained to the required levels to be selected for the trip to north London, indicating that there could have been an incident in the build-up to the game at Carrington.
Sancho responded with a statement of his own on X, stating he had trained to an acceptable level and that other factors were at play for his absence. Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that the 23-year-old could be looking to engineer his way out of the club following the statement, which is unlikely to disperse tension between himself and ten Hag.
Meanwhile, United winger Antony has been dropped from the Brazil squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers following serious allegations against him made by his former girlfriend, Gabriela Cavallin. Manchester United have released a statement regarding reports, but haven't indicated how this affects his playing time at the club.
Antony - Man Utd | Stats |
|---|---|
Appearances | 48 |
Goals | 8 |
Assists | 3 |
Yellow cards | 9 |
Stats according to Transfermarkt | |
What has Jones said about Man Utd?
Jones is unsure whether Antony will be involved with Manchester United during the backdrop of the allegations and believes the club are in an “unbelievable state” following the recent backlash over Mason Greenwood’s loan move to Getafe.
The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “Man Utd will soon have to be rebranded as Statement FC if the last few days are anything to go by, with people issuing their own messages on social media about what is going on in their lives. It's a pretty unbelievable state to be in with the civil war opening up over ten Hag and Sancho, and now the Antony situation. It's hard to predict how this plays out, but on the back of the Mason Greenwood stuff, it has been a mess. It looked like the Amrabat transfer on deadline day could be a season-defining moment that helps them towards better times, but there always seems to be a new sub-plot around the corner at United.
“In terms of whether Antony plays for United during this period, they are certainly in a situation where it is difficult to do so until more details are known. Clubs are under more pressure than ever to make decisions based on more than whether a player is good at football. Antony's form was already being questioned. Now, to have this allegation hanging over him suggests United seriously have to think about leaving him out for now.”
What next for Man Utd?
Manchester United will be relieved when the focus surrounding the club returns to on-pitch action after the season’s first international break. The Red Devils welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on the 16th September before facing Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener the following week. Ten Hag’s side must finish above two of the Bundesliga champions, Galatasaray and Copenhagen, to progress from the group stage and secure a spot in the last-16 of Europe’s premier club competition this season.