Manchester United did not feature Jadon Sancho in their squad for their 1-0 victory over Fulham on Friday.
Following Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ strong performance in the team’s 1-0 win against Fulham at Old Trafford on the season’s opening day, Sancho sent him a brief one-word message.
United earned their three points with a late goal from newly signed Joshua Zirkzee. Erik ten Hag’s side only took the lead in the 87th minute, despite having several scoring opportunities earlier, with Fernandes playing a key role in their attacking efforts.
“Nothing beats the feeling of being back at Old Trafford,” wrote Jadon Sancho in a surprising message to Fernandes after the Fulham game.
During the first half, Fernandes had two chances thwarted by Fulham’s Bernd Leno. After the match, Fernandes shared several photos on Instagram with a message for United fans, saying, “Nothing beats the feeling of being back at Old Trafford,” accompanied by a red heart. Fernandes also added, “PS: fantasy league managers who trust me, I’m sorry for yesterday… I will repay you,” with emojis of a facepalming and sweating face.
Sancho commented on that Instagram post with “BRUNO!” and a red heart symbol. Former Manchester United players Odion Ighalo and Timothy Fosu-Mensah also expressed their thanks to Fernandes. Fernandes recently signed a new three-year contract with the club.
Sancho was absent from the squad against Fulham. The 24-year-old was not included in the 20-player matchday squad, even though he had appeared as a substitute in the previous week’s Community Shield against Manchester City.
Ten Hag explained Sancho’s absence by saying, “We need depth in the squad. This season will be about survival of the fittest, and I can only select 20 players. Jadon had an ear infection and was not fully fit. While he could have played, we chose to use other players. This may change in the future. Today highlighted the importance of substitutes—we can’t field everyone at once. While it might be frustrating, it’s about the team and the club. We expect all players to fight for the club.”
