Jadon Sancho’s recent Man United revival has seen him show glimpses of being back to his best but Erik Ten Hag should continue to manage his game time carefully.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who believes the former Borussia Dortmund wide-man should remain a substitute for the Red Devils’ next few games.
Having been allowed a prolonged spell away from first-team action following a run of poor form, Sancho, under the guidance of Ten Hag, has recently returned to United’s matchday squads.
Brought on as a substitute against rivals Leeds United last time out, the 22-year-old’s cameo saw him transform his side’s fortunes in the latter part of the game. Scoring what turned out to be a crucial equaliser as the game ended 2-2, Sancho’s 30 minutes of action saw him link up well with Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford on the left flank.
However, set to meet managerless Leeds on Sunday for the second time this week, there is a debate over whether or not Ten Hag should start Sancho in place of Alejandro Garnacho.
Speaking about how the Dutchman should line the 20-time league winners up on the weekend, Collymore, who has always been a big fan of Sancho’s, has admitted he’d prefer to see the 22-year-old remain on the bench as he continues to build up his newfound confidence.
“I thought he was excellent when he came on against Leeds on Wednesday night,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
“He looked sharp, pacey and really dynamic. I don’t think Alejandro Garnacho had a bad game so I don’t understand the criticism he’s received but when it comes to the possibility of Sancho starting on Sunday, I think Erik Ten Hag should consider bringing him off the bench again for another two or three games.
“Let him continue to build his confidence and get him chomping at the bit to come on with half an hour or so to go. He’s also a really useful option to have once opposition fullbacks begin to tire, as we saw when he came on and got the better of Luke Ayling earlier in the week.”
United’s second Premier League game against Leeds, which is scheduled to take place at Elland Road on Sunday, is set to kick off at 2 p.m. (UK time) and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.