Jadon Sancho misses Manchester United's Premier League opener of the season as Erik ten Hag dismisses exit rumours

Erik ten Hag has once again cast doubt on Jadon Sancho's future at Manchester United after leaving him out of his squad.

But he told fans after their win over Fulham that the England international has been suffering from an “ear infection”.

Sancho was a notable omission from the Red Devils'He was named in the squad for Friday night's Premier League opener, which saw the side slug it out 1-0 against Fulham at Old Trafford.

His relationship with Ten Hag has been under significant scrutiny for some time following a disagreement in the last term.

Sancho hit out against the Dutch coach on social media, which led to him being banned from first-team training in August last year.

This came after Ten Hag claimed he did not train well enough to be included in the squad for the Premier League trip to Arsenal, with the winger denying this in a now-deleted post on X.

After months in exile, Sancho left Old Trafford to return to Borussia Dortmund on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 season.

Despite shining brightly, the 24-year-old returned to Manchester this summer and has played an active role in Ten Hag's pre-season preparations.

Ten Hag even hinted that the winger could be Ready for a shocking new role Playing as a false nine this season.

Sancho even played a part in last weekend's Community Shield defeat to rivals Manchester City, where he missed the penalty shoot-out.

And after being left out of the game against Fulham, fans were convinced it was a sign that Sancho's United career was over.

But Ten Hag has put those rumours to rest after United moved to the top of the table.

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He said: “First of all, we need depth in the squad. This season will be a matter of survival, but I can only put 20 players in the squad.

“I have to make decisions and that week Jadon had an ear infection and was not 100 percent fit for this.

“He could play, but we made decisions and chose that we preferred other players on the bench.

“But that can change and will definitely change in the season when we will have to rotate because we cannot play all the games with the same players.

“You saw today how important the substitutes are: we need the right bench and the right balance, and that is frustrating for the player.

“But it's about the team and the club and there will be more players who will be in this position, but we expect them to fight for the club.

“We have a lot of games to play and everyone will have minutes and you will have to show what you are worth.”