What the papers say

Jadon Sancho could leave Manchester United in January, the Daily Mail reports, with the Red Devils said to be willing to subsidise his wages to offload the 23-year-old forward. Sancho, who is reportedly paid £300,000 a week at United, remains out of the first-team picture at Old Trafford following his stand-off with boss Erik ten Hag.

The Times says Tottenham defender Eric Dier could move back to his former club Sporting Lisbon in January, or when his contract runs out next summer. The 29-year-old is yet to feature for Tottenham this season after playing 33 games for the club last term. The England international joined the club in 2014 from Portuguese outfit Sporting.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Vinicius Junior: The 23-year-old Real Madrid superstar is yet to sign a new contract with the club, with his current deal running out next summer, Spanish outlet Sport says.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Football Insider reports that Manchester United have commenced talks with their 25-year-old right-back to sort out a new contract.

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United’s stunning stoppage-time turnaround against Brentford has to be the “turning point” in their season.

The afterglow from a promising first season under the Dutchman has long since dimmed, with the mood threatening to darken further before the international break.

Mathias Jensen put Brentford on course for a famous Old Trafford win as United entered second-half stoppage time staring down the barrel of a fifth defeat in their opening eight league matches.

But super sub Scott McTominay had other ideas. Introduced in the 87th minute, he fired United level in the 93rd minute and four minutes later headed home to seal a scarcely believable 2-1 comeback win.

“This has to be a turning point but also it has to be a restart because we have to get into higher levels,” United boss Ten Hag said.

“But the spirit is good, the belief is good, the team is together.

“We have shown that, we have shown strong character and it can be the turning point in the season but it’s up to us.

“Those games give fuel to a dressing room. They know how far they have to go to get results.

“It can’t be easy going and in football, it’s eat or you get eaten.

“Too many times in the first half of the season we have got eaten by opponents who are more hungry, and this can’t be. It has to go away.

“Every player, every second he is on the pitch, he has to deliver that. That is the demand and the standard.

“When you do that, we have seen last season that you get a determined team.

“We were not always determined on every occasion in games and you get hammered for it and this has to change.”

McTominay was the fifth and final substitution made by Ten Hag as United desperately looked to avoid a third straight Old Trafford defeat in all competitions.

The homegrown midfielder was linked with a summer move but stayed and came up trumps on Saturday, when he admitted he could not quite hear Ten Hag’s instructions when bringing him on.

McTominay reckoned his manager “probably said something like ‘go on and score’,” but the grinning Dutchman said: “I said score two goals!

“It says a lot (about his mentality). He’s Man United in everything, in his heart. He’s playing for the badge, he gives his life.

“When you’re coming on and you give this to the team, that tells a lot. That also tells a lot about this dressing room, they are together.

“And also I felt the whole afternoon a strong togetherness with the fans because even when we are losing they kept standing behind us.

“They kept us going, the team kept going and finally we get rewarded.”

Brentford were just moments away from a famous first Old Trafford win since 1937, only to be denied their second victory of the season at the death.

Bees head coach Thomas Frank said: “When you’re leading 1-0 into three minutes injury time and then lose, I think that’s unfair.

“I think if you were winning there you would all say ‘well done, tough game for Brentford, deserved win’.

“When they equalised, probably you could say ‘OK, 1-1 is probably fair’.

“I think that we played close to a perfect first half, very aggressive in the high pressure, very brave on the ball, good on the counters, defended well.

“I think it was a well-deserved 1-0 lead that first half.

“Second half we get more under pressure. Of course, we’re playing against Man United at Old Trafford. They have to win.

“I know when it’s good for other managers. I’m happy for Erik but of course not happy for myself that we didn’t win, because I think he would probably have faced a pretty brutal room if he’d lost.”

Super sub Scott McTominay’s stunning stoppage-time double secured Manchester United a remarkable last-gasp 2-1 comeback victory against Brentford.

Premier League losses at home to Brighton and Crystal Palace led to intense scrutiny and pressure that had increased further after Tuesday’s chastening Champions League defeat to Galatasaray.

Erik ten Hag’s men needed to go into the international break on a high but floundered for the most part on Saturday afternoon, with a catalogue of errors resulting in Mathias Jensen’s opener.

United offered precious little in response as Brentford headed into second-half stoppage time on course for a famous first win at Old Trafford since 1937.

But McTominay, brought on as a final roll of the dice in the 87th minute, had other ideas.

First the homegrown midfielder fired home a 93rd-minute equaliser and four minutes later headed home a scarcely believable winner to spark wild Old Trafford celebrations.

It was an incredible end to a day that began in poignant fashion as Old Trafford paid tribute to Lady Cathy Ferguson following the death of Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife.

Players wore black armband and flags flew at half-mast on a day that both teams began with intent that they struggled to turn into clear-cut chances.

Aaron Hickey twice tried his luck from distance as the Bees attempted to sting a makeshift United backline.

With five defenders injured and the defence unbalanced, Victor Lindelof was deployed at left-back and Harry Maguire made his first league start of the campaign alongside Jonny Evans.

United lacked the Bees’ coherence and discipline and, shortly after mightily impressive Ethan Pinnock’s sliding block denied Mason Mount, their ongoing issues cost them.

Slack Casemiro gave away possession around the centre circle and failed to win it back, with Lindelof then failing to effectively deal with Yoane Wissa’s low ball into the box.

That botched clearance ricocheted off the Brentford forward into the path of Jensen to sweep home a low, first-time strike that Andre Onana could not get down to stop.

It was an all too familiar gut punch for United, who failed to muster a shot on target until Marcus Rashford wriggled free to test Premier League debutant Thomas Strakosha in the 37th minute.

Bryan Mbeumo sent a curling effort skipping just wide when Brentford returned to the attack, with United creating precious beyond a hopeful looping Casemiro header back across goal.

Boos greeted the half-time whistle and Ten Hag replaced underperforming Casemiro with former Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen at the break.

The introduction’s hopeful, long-range piledriver forced Strakosha into action in the 53rd minute, with Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund trying to eke out an equaliser.

Diogo Dalot hacked clear after a long Brentford throw-in was flicked on, but play was now nearly entirely focused at the other end.

The right-back flashed an effort over and Hojlund struck into the side netting, with Strakosha palming away a Bruno Fernandes effort.

Lindelof went straight down the tunnel after being replaced by Anthony Martial, perhaps suggesting another injury for a United side struggling for luck or cohesion.

The France forward saw penalty appeals overlooked in between fellow introduction Alejandro Garnacho whipping over and Fernandes missing the target.

Onana impressively clawed away substitute Neal Maupay’s audacious 20-yard attempt but a few frustrated fans had begun heading towards the exit.

Anyone that left early missed a box office conclusion.

United thought they had equalised in the 89th minute, only to realise Martial had strayed offside when flicking a cross that deflected into the Brentford goal.

That setback made the stoppage-time turnaround all the sweeter for the Old Trafford faithful.

Three minutes into stoppage time Garnacho hooked back for Dalot to get a shot that Strakosha parried, with McTominay eventually controlling a clearance and drilling home.

Martial got a low shot on goal during a melee as United sought a winner that arrived in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Fernandes’ floated free-kick from around the halfway line was headed on by Maguire and McTominay battled to head home to secure a jaw-dropping late victory.

Under-pressure Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is not worried about losing his job after his side’s horror start to the season continued with a Champions League home defeat to Galatasaray.

The Red Devils threw away a 2-1 lead to fall to a 3-2 loss at a rain-soaked Old Trafford and suffer their worst start to a season since 1986.

They have lost six of their opening 10 games for the first time in 37 years and their chances of getting out of the group stages already look in doubt after just two matches.

But Ten Hag, who says there are “no excuses” for his side’s dismal performances, insist everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction.

Asked whether he feared for his job, the Dutchman said: “Last season: brilliant, terrific, more than we could expect.

“We also knew in this project there would be common gaps. At this moment we are in a very difficult period as everyone can see but we come out together, we are fighting together, we are sticking together and we are behind each other. That is me, the directors, the team, all together we will fight.

“This is not us, we know we have to do better, with togetherness we will come out.

“If I give an explanation, then you will see as excuses, there are no excuses. We can’t make the errors we are now making. We have to do better, it is a simple fact, we have to win our games.”

United had victory in their own hands after two Rasmus Hojlund goals, either side of former United winger Wilfried Zaha’s leveller, put them on course for a much-needed win.

But Kerem Akturkoglu again pegged them back and then a woeful error by Andre Onana set them on a path to self-destruction as his abysmal pass led to Casemiro fouling Dries Mertens in the penalty area and the Brazilian was sent off.

Mauro Icardi missed the resulting penalty, but made amends three minutes later as he grabbed the winner and sealed a first ever victory on English soil for the Turkish side.

Onana also made a costly gaffe in the Group A opener at Bayern Munich a fortnight ago but Ten Hag, who managed him at Ajax, has backed the Cameroonian to come good.

“We are happy with our goalkeeping group, definitely with Andre,” Ten Hag said. “He was in one semi-final of the Champions League, last year he was in the final of the Champions League, he has the capablilties to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“He has shown that and he will do. We already have seen in games his great capabilites, also his personality after he made mistakes. He will bounce back and I am sure he will in the coming games as well.”

Galatasaray were good value for their victory and are now a good bet to progress to the knockout stages, having taken four points from their opening two games.

“In the second half I believe we played better, we had more chances,” coach Okan Buruk said. “At the end of the day we are happy, we won against this team, a very important team.

“This victory is very important for Turkish football, for us and for our standing in the group.”

Manchester United have announced Lisandro Martinez will be sidelined for an “extended period” after aggravating the foot injury he suffered towards the end of last season.

The Argentina defender sustained a fractured metatarsal in April’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla, keeping him out for around two months.

Martinez is now looking at a similar timescale after United confirmed he had suffered a setback.

The club said: “Lisandro Martinez will be out of action for an extended period due to an aggravation of the foot injury he suffered in April.

“The Argentinian defender experienced the setback in our Premier League game against Arsenal earlier this month.

“Martinez bravely continued playing for the following two games against Brighton and Bayern Munich.

“But it has now been determined that he needs a period on the sidelines for recovery and rehabilitation. Assessment is ongoing to decide next steps.”

United have a number of injury issues to deal with and have confirmed Sergio Reguilon will be among those absent against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The club said: “Sergio Reguilon will also be absent from this Saturday’s Premier League game against Crystal Palace with a minor injury.”

Erik ten Hag says Alejandro Garnacho was “not good enough” in his previous starts this season after the Manchester United teenager scored in the Carabao Cup victory against Crystal Palace.

Having secured a much-needed Premier League victory at Burnley on Saturday evening, the Red Devils ran out comfortable 3-0 victors against Roy Hodgson’s south Londoners on Tuesday night.

Casemiro scored and then crossed for Anthony Martial’s goal on a night started by Garnacho impressively putting the Carabao Cup holders ahead from Diogo Dalot’s cutback.

The 19-year-old began United’s first two matches of the season, but this was the first time he was named in the starting line-up since the defeat to Tottenham five weeks ago.

“You have seen at the start of the season we played him and then his contribution was not good enough,” manager Ten Hag said of the Argentina international.

“But he also had some good actions. You see always he is a threat in the game even when he is not playing that well.

“He has to learn when he does his job in defending he will always have his moment and he will always be decisive because he has great qualities.

“As well, it’s not only off the ball. But I want to see like today, he is entering the box in the right spot to finish.

“But I think it is quite normal for a player of his age that there is space for a lot of improvement.

“Everyone likes him, the fans like him, the team likes him, I like him but we also have to demand from him and push him because he can act on a very high level but he has to show it every day.”

United made seven alterations, as did Palace, ahead of Saturday’s Premier League reunion at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag will hope Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay can return from what the United boss called illness, so too left-back Sergio Reguilon.

The on-loan Tottenham full-back’s absence meant Sofyan Amrabat filled in there on his first start for the club, before stepping into midfield at half-time.

“Sofyan is a player, and that was one of the reasons we signed him, where the team needs him, he will play and he can play in more positions,” Ten Hag said.

“Every player has his best position but he gives a certain dynamic in the game. We have seen today but also for him and many players, we just started.

“That process was a little bit interrupted by the many injuries we have because when you can play a long time with the same team then you get routines, the players learn each other and it’s more automatic.

“You see Mason (Mount), Amrabat, you see also others, they can contribute to our game and they will do.”

As for Palace, Roy Hodgson had no arguments with the result as his side made a meek Carabao Cup exit in the third round.

“I thought we were well beaten, basically,” said the Eagles boss, who saw Dean Henderson go off injured on his debut at former club United.

“I thought they attacked better than we did, defended the few attacks we were able to mount quite comfortably.

“As a result, unfortunately, you tend when that happens to only be looking at one possible result and that was the result they came up with.”

What the papers say

Jadon Sancho has been urged by players at Manchester United to end his dispute with manager Erik ten Hag, according to the Daily Mirror. The Times reports that the PFA has offered to help the England winger, 23, settle his differences with ten Hag.

Arsenal are gearing up to grab Ivan Toney, with the Daily Mirror reporting Brentford have valued the 27-year-old at £60 million ahead of a likely move for him in the January transfer window.

Jesse Lingard has ended his one-month training stint at West Ham to move to Saudi Arabia, with the Daily Mirror reporting club manager David Moyes insisting the club is comfortable with Lingard’s decision.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Chelsea secretly parted ways with Bruno, who joined Craven Cottage under former manager Graham Potter’s watch and was a first-team coach under Mauricio Pochettino.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Romelu Lukaku: Roma are keen to turn the 30-year-old striker’s loan from Chelsea into a permanent move.

Mohamed Salah: Negotiations between Liverpool, Saudi Arabia and the striker’s agent are becoming the subject of a Harvard study.

Jonny Evans is convinced Manchester United have a “good thing going” under Erik ten Hag despite their shaky start to the season.

Things have gone awry after a promising first campaign under the Dutchman, with the Red Devils losing four of their first six matches in all competitions for the first time since 1986.

There were some mitigating factors in that poor run but that did not stop the pressure mounting on the Old Trafford giants heading into Saturday evening’s Premier League trip to Burnley.

Ten Hag’s troops were far from their best but Bruno Fernandes’ brilliant volley secured a 1-0 win for a side that begin their Carabao Cup defence at home to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Evans watched February’s Wembley triumph from the stands and is now back at the club he came through at as a boy, with the experienced defender confident about United’s future.

“I’ve had some up and down moments at Man United over the years,” said the defender, who won three Premier League titles and a Champions League during his previous spell at the club.

“I think you get that if you want to be at the top. You know, it’s going to be very up and down.

“You’ve got to be able to deal with setbacks and this club is a fantastic club, always want to be challenging at the top, so it’s all part and parcel of it.

“The manager’s got a good thing going here.

“I’m a fan of the club so I was able to watch them a lot last year, been at both finals to support. Like I say, I think the manager’s got a good thing going.”

Evans made his second appearance of the season and first United start in eight-and-a-half years on Saturday evening.

The 35-year-old impressed against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, scoring a goal that was disallowed before providing an exceptional pass for Fernandes’ volleyed winner.

“That was great,” the beaming Northern Irishman said after his 200th United appearance. “I was really looking forward to it all day.

“I got the shout yesterday in training that I was going to be starting, so I couldn’t wait for the game, really.

“I was more nervous in the pre-season, my first pre-season game, to be honest, playing up in Edinburgh.

“I didn’t feel any nerves tonight. I actually felt a lot of excitement going into the game. I couldn’t wait for it and I felt good, I felt ready.”

Evans produced an impressive all-round display at Turf Moor, leading captain Fernandes to pass on the man of the match award that he had been handed.

The centre-back joked it was just the third of a career he never expected to return to such heights having left Leicester on the back of relegation and an injury-hit campaign.

Asked if he ever thought he would get back to this level, Evans immediately responded: “No, definitely not.

“It’s not a case of winding down. I think people’s career trajectories kind of end up that way and it’s very difficult for a club when you’re 35 years old to take a chance on you.

“I had a lot of injury problems last year as well, so for the club to do that and see the value in me, I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity.

“On one side it feels really surreal and then on the other side it just feels completely normal.

“It’s quite difficult to get my head around sometimes, but I’m loving it.

“For a 35-year-old I suppose to come back in – they wanted me to come back in and provide cover – not many people get to do that.

“I know it’s going be a big challenge but hopefully it’s one that I can take on.

“I feel like it’s one that was perfect for me at this stage of my career.”

Bruno Fernandes’ stunning volley secured absentee-hit Manchester United a much-needed victory as Burnley’s wait for a Premier League win continued.

Injuries and off-field issues have been compounded by poor performances in some tough fixtures, with the Red Devils losing four of their opening six matches in all competitions for the first time since 1986.

United ended a run of three successive defeats at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, where Erik ten Hag’s team were not entirely convincing but ran out 1-0 victors thanks to Fernandes’ moment of magic on Saturday night.

The Portugal midfielder showed exceptional composure and technique when providing a fitting finish to a brilliant pass from Jonny Evans, who was making his first start for the club since 2015.

The 35-year-old recently rejoined the club and thought he had scored shortly before Fernandes’ goal, only for the VAR to intervene in a first half that Burnley had held their own in.

Zeki Amdouni struck a post during the opening period and Kompany’s side threatened towards the end of the second half, but the Manchester City great was unable to celebrate a late equaliser.

Erik ten Hag admits he is at a loss to explain Manchester United’s poor defensive performances.

The Red Devils have conceded 14 goals in their last five games and 10 in the last three, with three goals against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday not enough even to earn them a point.

United boss Ten Hag said: “We have shown that we can do it because last year we had the most clean sheets in the Premier League because of the team, because we defended very good as a team, so we have to get back to that standard.

“Of course I am pushing the team and demanding from the team, and from the start of the season, but they are human beings, not robots, so, why they are not doing it, I try to find out and I try to give the solutions and try to motivate the players to do the job.

“When you are in a period like we are in always as a manager you are asking yourself these questions. My job is to get them to do the job.”

On United’s tendency to concede goals soon after a restart, Ten Hag added: “(We’re) not concerned but we are aware of it. Of course you can’t close your eyes for things like this so we coach the players, we coach the team in that fact.”

Question marks have been raised about the attitude of United’s squad, with clips from the Bayern game apparently showing players not chasing back as hard as they might.

Ten Hag does not believe a lack of willingness was to blame, though, saying: “It’s always a concern when we didn’t run but I think against Bayern it was not the case.

“In certain situations yes so it’s also to recognise in which situation is it about they didn’t recognise it and didn’t make the right decisions or is it about willingness?

“Against Spurs, we didn’t run too much. But I think against Bayern we did our best from physical outputs but we didn’t always run in the right moment.

“If we bounced back like we did in Munich, you can’t say the spirit isn’t right. I think we have other problems than that.”

Erik ten Hag admitted he was concerned about the eye-watering number of injuries Manchester United are picking up ahead of their Champions League opener at Bayern Munich.

This has been a challenging start to the season for the Old Trafford giants, with off-field issues compounded by a run of three defeats in their last four Premier League matches.

United’s 3-1 meek home loss to Brighton is hardly the best preparation to face Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday, nor are the injury problems that continue to pile up.

The Red Devils have lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire since the weekend, joining the likes of Raphael Varane, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines.

“Yes, of course it’s a concern,” Ten Hag said of the spate of injuries that leaves him with a 21-man squad in Germany featuring four goalkeepers.

“But we knew that before and that’s why we constructed the squad with depth, so we can deal with it, the squad can deal with it.”

Asked whether he can speak to the medical staff about the injury situation, the United boss said: “I don’t know if we have to go to the doctors or physios because they are dealing with the problems.

“First of all, injuries always come in top football because we’re living on the edge.

“Of course we analyse why things happen, but we also have to deal with the facts and it’s always about the players available.

“That’s a strong side we can line up and we have to get the best out of it and we’re focusing on that.

“To bring up tomorrow again, a good team, make the next step, integrate Rasmus Hojlund, (Sergio) Reguilon), two new players and we are here to get a result.”

Sofyan Amrabat, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo are others out of the Group A opener through injury, while Donny van de Beek is unavailable having been left out of United’s Champions League squad.

Beyond that, Jadon Sancho remains absent “pending resolution of a squad discipline issue” and Antony has been given a leave of absence following assault allegations against him.

“One thing is true, I think from the start last season I think I almost never started with the best starting XI – there was always something like injury,” Ten Hag said.

“But you have to deal with it and I think we always got the results in apart from the period where we are in now.

“That is football and I have the experience in the past, I managed it in the past. It’s not always going up and you have to deal with it.

“I like these situations because now we have to handle it and we have to manage this. You have to know what to do and that is focusing on the process.”

Ten Hag’s belief about their path is why he is not getting thrown off kilter by the negativity heading into United’s first Champions League match in 18 months.

“No, we don’t feel that we need a reset,” the former Bayern Munich reserve boss said. “Absolutely not. “We are in a process and what you see is that in parts of games we play very good but then also in parts of games we played below our levels.

“What we have to demand is be consistent, so we have to step up in certain levels all the time for 90-plus minutes. That is the demand on us.”

Wednesday certainly looks a tough ask for United, who will face England captain Harry Kane after he joined Bayern following a summer of speculation.

United were strongly linked with the 30-year-old but plumped for promise rather than a proven goalscorer by signing Hojlund, 10 years his junior, from Atalanta.

“I think we discussed (Kane and Hojlund during pre-season), so I don’t think we have to repeat this debate,” Ten Hag said.

“We are happy with Rasmus. Obviously first games he was injured, he played now Arsenal, he’s now started.

“Now of course we have to integrate him in a team but you can see he’s a big talent and he will contribute to our game. We are quite confident of that.”

Asked if he had regrets about not signing Kane, Ten Hag simply responded: “No.”

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United must respond with character and togetherness after a galling loss to Brighton on an afternoon when he regarded the booing of Rasmus Hojlund’s withdrawal as a positive.

After a promising first season under the Dutchman, a number of off-field issues at Old Trafford have been compounded by poor performances and results on the pitch.

Already beaten away to Tottenham and Arsenal, Saturday’s meek 3-1 home loss to Brighton meant the Red Devils have lost three of their first five matches for the first time in the Premier League era.

“Definitely that is something that bothers me,” manager Ten Hag said of the results. “But also I have to see the way we play.

“But finally it’s about character then. Now we have to see how strong we are, how the team sticks together and which players are standing up and showing the character and leading the team.

“Because in all the games, all the games but especially the games today, against Arsenal and Forest, we have seen we can play very good and we can create a lot of chances.

“But, yes, there are also some improvements to make. That is definitely the case and now we have to step up.”

Danny Welbeck put Brighton ahead against his former club before Marcus Rashford’s effort was deflected onto the woodwork and Hojlund’s first goal for his new club was ruled out by the VAR.

Pascal Gross and substitute Joao Pedro put the visitors further ahead in the second half at a stunned Old Trafford, where substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s exceptional first United goal did little to lift the mood.

There were boos at the final whistle and even louder jeers earlier in the second half when Ten Hag replaced lively full debutant Hojlund with Anthony Martial.

“I think it was positive,” the manager said of the reaction to the substitution. “You see that the fans from the first moment in Old Trafford, the reception for him was great.

“I think he performed very well, so I think it’s good that they gave this signal, this message. It will give him belief, Rasmus.

“But everyone knows he came in with a small issue. We built him over the last three, four weeks.

“He’s not ready for a whole game and we have many games to play in short notice, so we have to build him also in fitness.”

It has been a poor start to the season in all departments, but Ten Hag dismissed the notion that United are in crisis ahead of Wednesday’s tough-looking Champions League group opener at Bayern Munich.

“No, but we have to be very disappointed,” he said. “And we have to be very annoyed with ourselves because at United the demand is you win games.”

This loss ended United’s 31-match unbeaten home run in all competitions and saw them lose a Premier League match at Old Trafford for the first time since Ten Hag’s opening game.

Brighton were the victors that day and celebrated a second-ever Old Trafford win on Saturday, when they made it four top-flight wins in a row against the Red Devils.

Roberto De Zerbi’s brilliant side shone despite making six changes in the north west against a side constructed at a far greater cost.

“The football is nice because the small team can win in every moment against a great team,” the Brighton boss said.

“But I think Brighton is becoming not a big, big team but it’s not a surprise.

“The quality of the players of Brighton is very high and the organisation of the club. The possibility to manage two players per position is difficult.

“I don’t know the problems of Man United. I can explain my team.

“We are used to working in our style, we are playing with courage because we defended in Old Trafford man-to-man all the time.

“We are building our season in this way.”

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United looks bleak after Erik ten Hag admitted he does not know whether the winger will play for the club again.

The 23-year-old is training away from the first team as a disciplinary measure after claiming on social media that he had been made a “scapegoat” following his omission from the squad for the defeat at Arsenal before the international break.

Ten Hag hinted that it was not just this misstep that was taken into consideration when deciding the punishment, though repeatedly declined the opportunity to speak about Sancho when asked at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Brighton.

The episode bears similarity to the way Cristiano Ronaldo was jettisoned out of the club after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last year and Ten Hag said he did not know how long Sancho’s disciplinary procedure would last or whether he will represent United again.

Asked directly whether he would pull on the United shirt again, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. I am sitting here. Tomorrow we have a big game, we are going into a new block of games, many games in a condensed programme. I focus on that.”

On how long the disciplinary process might last, the Dutchman replied: “I don’t know but, as I say, I don’t think about that. I think about tomorrow. I think about the way the team has to progress. I have a lot to consider to make the right decisions.

“He is not available, so in this moment, he is not important, because he can’t contribute.”

Ten Hag, who claimed he inherited a club with “no good culture” when he took over, was at pains to stress that he was not focused on Sancho and the team is the most important thing.

“It’s in favour of the team. That is what my decision is based on,” he said.

“That is not about me, and to be strict. No. This is in favour of the team. I don’t think about that (Sancho’s tweet) and I don’t talk about that, because I have to win a game. It is all about that.

“The players who are there and available deserve me. I have to guide them, I have to prepare them, it is about that. I only focus on the players who are available.

“It is also not about me, it is about the team and the club. I put my energy into giving the best performance tomorrow against Brighton.

“As a club, as a team we have to deal with that. But once again it is no importance to the coming games, I have to put my energy so that the team play their best tomorrow, in a week, the coming period. I have to focus on that.”

Sancho’s misdemeanour is the latest in a long line of off-field issues that Ten Hag has had to deal with since his appointment last summer and he said part of his brief was to instil better discipline at the club.

Ten Hag said: “Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before I entered last season, so to set good standards, that is what I did and it is my job to control the standards.

“Of course, it is never someone only makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines.

“If staff or players or whoever, there is a structure to cross lines so you have to be strong.”

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United appears uncertain after a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag.

It is the latest instalment in what has been a frustrating spell at Old Trafford for the England international.

Here, the PA news agency looks at where it has gone wrong.

What has happened?

Ten Hag did not include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player had not reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly disputed by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” for a long time and that claims about his conduct in training were “completely untrue”. Coming after two difficult years at the club, it raised questions over his future.

What were the previous issues?

Sancho’s United career does not seem to have ignited. Considered one of England’s brightest young prospects, he arrived amid much fanfare in the summer of 2021, but illness initially restricted his involvement. Then there was the turbulence of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced by Ralf Rangnick before Ten Hag’s arrival last summer. Confidence clearly suffered and Sancho was unable to find any consistent form.

What has happened under Ten Hag?

Sancho’s performances did not significantly improve after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was consequently overlooked for England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag went on to criticise his “fitness state” and revealed he spent time training away from the squad on an “individual programme”. Since then opportunities have been restricted by the form of Marcus Rashford and further competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.

Is wasn’t meant to be this way was it?

Absolutely not. Sancho was highly rated in Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether that move was wise and suggested he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola, as Phil Foden did, but it seemed to pay off. Sancho had four highly fruitful years in Germany and became an established international. He seemed ready for the move in 2021, but it has simply not gone to plan.

What happens next?

After going public with his grievances in the way he did, it seems unlikely he will be back in the United side any time soon. He would need to settle his differences with the manager and then convince him he is playing well enough to be selected. That could take time. There have been suggestions a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate way out, but there has been no firm interest reported. It could be a quiet few months ahead.

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