Marcus Rashford offers surprising reaction before quickly pulling back as alarm bells ring over Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag at Manchester United

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford seemingly liked Jadon Sancho's post in response to Erik ten Hag's justification provided on dropping the winger for the Arsenal game. Soon after deciding to back Sancho's statement on X, the 25-year-old unliked the post.

The former Borussia Dortmund player's retaliation followed Ten Hag's decision to drop the player from Manchester United's matchday squad against Arsenal on Sunday (September 3). After the Red Devils' 3-1 loss to the Gunners, the former Ajax manager claimed Sancho's absence was a result of his performance in training.

Responding to his boss' comments, Sancho wrote (via his X):

"Please don't believe everything you read! I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't get into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!"

"All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decision that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"

Since his £73 million from Dortmund in 2021, Sancho has not lived up to the hype surrounding his transfer, especially after performing at very high levels in Germany. He has only scored 12 goals and given six assists in 82 games across competitions.

Having played together for both club and country, Rashford and Sancho have managed to share the football pitch on 67 occasions, jointly participating for three goals.

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Rio Ferdinand tips Manchester United star Jadon Sancho for Saudi Arabia move amid Erik ten Hag controversy

Jadon Sancho (via Getty Images)

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand weighed in on Red Devils' star Jadon Sancho and manager Erik ten Hag's ongoing controversy. He believes that the saga could only end in two ways.

One possibility is that Sancho could end up in the Saudi Pro League, considering the transfer window in Saudi Arabia closes on Thursday (September 7). The other possibility was Sancho warming the bench for the remainder of the season. He said (via talkSPORT):

"There's only one way this ends right now. Well, two ways. There's only one window open and that's Saudi. Or you're on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season."

So far, the England international has failed to start any of the Red Devils Premier League matches in the 2023-24 season, racking up a combined game time of only 76 minutes. At 23, going to a non-European league may not be on Sancho's mind currently.

However, one can't rule the possibility out completely as several high-profile Premier League players have joined Saudi Pro League teams. Ruben Neves, 26, joined Al-Hilal from Wolverhampton Wanderers.