Manchester United reportedly did not have a clearance to reveal that Jadon Sancho was battling mental health issues in 2022. Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag previously informed reporters back in December about the player’s concerns. Sancho missed matches between November and January during the 2022/23 campaign because of “physical and mental” factors.

“I don’t think he will be back this week, no,” stated Ten Hag in mid-December. “We want to bring him back as quickly as possible, but I can’t give a prognosis of when that will be. Sometimes there are circumstances with fitness and mood. We got a drop of quality level and sometimes you don’t know why or what is causing it. That is what we are doing now to try to get him back there. It is a combination of physically and mentally.”

United, ten Hag thought they had to explain Sancho mental health absence

Following the remarks by ten Hag, Sancho spent time in the Netherlands to train away from the team. Nevertheless, Mail Sport is reporting that neither United nor ten Hag had permission to disclose Sancho’s mental health problems.

The news outlet claims that sources at the club said that the manager assumed he was being supportive of his young star at the press conference. Team officials supposedly had concerns over how to explain Sancho’s lengthy absence as well. These sources believed not revealing the player’s mental health issue would create various unwelcome speculations.

Player’s relationship with coach has recently soured

The recent revelation comes just days after ten Hag and Sancho publicly traded jabs at each other. United’s manager did not pick the winger in his squad to face Arsenal last weekend. According to ten Hag, Sancho was omitted because he did not train well during the week. The player, however, quickly hit back at his coach by refuting the claims.

A Saudi Pro League club even made a late attempt to sign Sancho from United before the summer transfer window closed. CBS Sports reported that Al-Ettifaq offered to take the winger on loan for the remainder of the current campaign. However, the Saudi side ultimately balked at the move because United wanted to add a $62 million purchase obligation to the deal.

Sancho has only managed 76 total minutes with the Red Devils so far this season. Because of the current international break, United will not resume their Premier League campaign until Saturday, September 16th. Brighton is set to travel to Manchester to take on United at Old Trafford.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Ricardo Larreina Amador