Jadon Sancho is "making steps" towards returning for Manchester United and could play against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday, manager Erik ten Hag revealed.
Sancho has not featured for United since a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in October, with Ten Hag giving the reason for his absence as "circumstances with fitness and mood".
The 22-year-old returned to training last week, but Ten Hag ruled him out of the 3-2 Premier League defeat at leaders Arsenal on Sunday, a loss that ended a run of six league games undefeated.
During Sancho's time away, Ten Hag has played both 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford at left-wing, the latter of whom is on a run of 10 goals in as many games in all competitions since returning from the World Cup.
While Garnacho and Rashford have impressed in Sancho's absence, with United the only English team left competing on four fronts, the former Borussia Dortmund man's return could provide Ten Hag with useful depth as they bid to end a six-year trophy drought.
Ten Hag is hoping Sancho will be back on the field soon, and did not rule out him making an appearance against Reading at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round.
"He [Sancho] is training with the team, and we will see," Ten Hag told reporters. "He's improving, he's making steps, and we will make the decision after training [whether he will play against Reading].
"He's on the way back, he's making steps, he's back in team training, and we have to see when he's ready to go back into games."
The cup tie with Reading will be United's eighth match since the start of 2023, but Ten Hag is confident of putting out a more than capable line-up against the Royals, saying: "We always have issues.
"But I think tomorrow we will have a strong selection for this game, we have a good squad, we can cover things."
Ten Hag warned against complacency against a side 30 places below them in the English football pyramid, explaining: "Football is never decided on paper, we have to be ready for every game.
"Every opponent will be tough. Especially in the cup for them, it's a perfect chance. We have to be aware of that, be on the front foot, focused and [with] energy. We want to win every game."
United continue to have problems at full-back, with Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot both missing the 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory over Nottingham Forest with knocks.
Ten Hag ruled out Dalot for the Reading game while he could not commit on Shaw, though he lauded Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrell Malacia for how they deputised against Forest.
"Dalot definitely out and Shaw a question mark," Ten Hag added. "We have to see after training.
"I think Aaron and Tyrell play magnificent in this moment, on Wednesday they were really brilliant, the whole back four was really brilliant.
"In the back four we have really adapted the squad, that's what you need with 10 games in 30 days."
D.C. United head coach Rooney says addition of Messi is 'going to be great' for MLS
Count D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney among the many who are excited about Lionel Messi coming to Major League Soccer.
After Messi announced on Wednesday that he would be joining Inter Miami CF after his exit from Paris Saint-Germain, Rooney said the move is a major win for MLS.
"I think it's great, to bring Messi into the league," Rooney said on Thursday. "We've all seen, over the years, the impact of (Inter Miami co-owner) David Beckham coming in, (former Los Angeles Galaxy striker) Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) coming in.
"Different players from overseas. To get Messi in the league, arguably the greatest player of all time, and still – he’s a little bit older – but not long ago he won the World Cup almost single handed.
"It's going to be great for the league, for Miami."
Messi, 35, is expected to make his MLS debut sometime in July, and D.C. hosts Inter Miami on July 8.
"It'd be nice if we were his first opponents for D.C. fans to see him up close and for us to challenge ourselves against him," Rooney said.
"One thing I will say – it’s not going to be easy for him. The league's a difficult league and I don't think he's going to come over here and absolutely tear it up immediately.
"He'll have to adapt because it's a bit different, it won't be an easy ride for him."
Messi dragged Argentina to their first World Cup success since 1986 in Qatar last year, and the Barcelona great has won the Ballon d'Or trophy a record seven times.
"He's the best. Simple as that," Rooney said. "In my view he's the best player to ever play the game. That's how he's different.
"The fanbase around him will be huge, commercially, for the league I'm sure it'll be huge as well. It's massive for MLS. With Messi coming here – I know MLS has always brought players in – but I think it'll do that again, and it shows MLS can compete.
"It shows it’s a league where people want to come and want to play and it's a huge first step."
Erling Haaland on a mission to realise Champions League dream with Man City
Erling Haaland is well aware he was brought to Manchester City to help them win the Champions League.
City are just one victory away from claiming the prize they covet most but has eluded them time after time with several near misses in recent years.
Haaland has been key to their latest charge to the final, where they face Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday, after a prolific first season at the Etihad Stadium.
The Norwegian has plundered 52 goals in all competitions since City identified him as the potential final piece in their jigsaw last year and paid £51million to recruit him from Borussia Dortmund.
“The Premier League, they won it two times in a row before I came here,” said Haaland. “So they know how to win the Premier League.
“The only thing they miss now is the Champions League. You can think and read between the words and the lines – I have been coming here for a reason.”
Haaland scored a record 36 Premier League goals as he helped City make it three titles in a row. They followed up that success by winning the FA Cup last weekend.
Now City are bidding to join rivals Manchester United in the history books by becoming only the second side to win the treble.
Doing so would see Haaland fulfil a long-held dream of winning the Champions League.
“I have been dreaming and thinking of it my whole life,” said the 22-year-old. “It has been my dream as long as I can remember, so a long time.
“Of course I have been thinking of this. There is one game left we have to perform at our best in. We have been doing it now for so many games in a row. It’s about keeping going.”
Such is Haaland’s love of the Champions League, that he even used to play the competition’s theme music in his car during his younger days.
“Yes, there is a video of me doing that,” he said. “You can search it up. It’s true.”
Haaland feels his game has improved at City under the guidance of Pep Guardiola – someone he describes as a “detail freak” – but is convinced there is more to come.
He said: “I am really enjoying every single day with him, with the intense Pep. I like it.
“I am still young, I can improve a lot and I am at the perfect place to work with the best coach and players in the world.”
Mark Hateley: Rangers need two new strikers who can outscore James Tavernier
Former Rangers striker Mark Hateley believes his old club need to sign two forwards who can outscore James Tavernier or they will not stop Celtic dominating Scottish football.
Right-back Tavernier was the club’s top league goalscorer last term with 16 goals and his total in all competitions of 18 was the same as Antonio Colak.
Fashion Sakala and the now departed Alfredo Morelos both hit 12 while Celtic’s main striker Kyogo Furuhashi weighed in with 34 goals on the way to the club’s fifth treble in seven seasons.
Hateley said: “We need two strikers that can score more than a right-back to win anything. It’s as simple as that.
“We need strikers that can get more goals than the captain to have a chance of competing at the very top. And that doesn’t come cheap.
“I think you need to bring in three strikers that are all credible and can produce.”
Colak’s future looks unclear after he only scored four goals and struggled for fitness following Michael Beale’s arrival, while Sakala played in a central role at times and on the wing on other occasions.
On Sakala, Hateley said: “He’s a young lad so he will develop as time goes on but if you are working with top goalscorers, your game comes on a lot quicker. I think he would probably become more of a squad player.
“The key now is to get two strikers in the team. It’s now easier because Alfredo has left the club because it was always difficult to play another player with Alfredo. He was the lone wolf with players playing around him but Michael now has the ability to play with two strikers, different formations.”
Hateley does not necessarily believe Ange Postecoglou’s departure from Celtic Park to Tottenham is in itself an opportunity for Rangers.
“You could say so but the structure that Celtic have in place, I don’t think a lot will change,” he said.
“I don’t know if Ange can take players with him but what Ange has done has been absolutely phenomenal, and the way the board have trusted him in his methodology and his way of thinking has been commendable.
“Top coaches like a challenge and they like to challenge the best. Ange has produced that. It’s always great competition, if you have two great teams on the pitch who are competing to prove who has the edge, and it’s the same with managers. You need managers to push each other.”
Hateley was promoting the Glasgow European Capital of Sport 2023 Refugee Football Tournament, which will feature players from more than 50 nations at Toryglen Regional Football Centre on July 2.
The former England striker said: “Refugees are coming to all different parts of the world and trying to find homes and friendships and where better to come than Glasgow, Scotland? Always welcoming, hence why I am still here.
“Football is a medium where friendships are built so it’s an important factor. It’s a fantastic initiative.”
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