Jadon Sancho was the talk of social media among Manchester United supporters on Monday night after fresh training pictures were released. The majority agreed that Sancho looked in excellent physical condition and a leaner version of himself.
Sancho last made a matchday squad against West Ham on October 30 and he spent time with Dutch coaches in the Netherlands throughout November on the advice of Erik ten Hag in order to keep fit and refocus during the World Cup break.
Sources indicated Sancho was working hard to improve his form and taking advice from Ten Hag and he was pictured training individually at Dutch amateur club OJC Rosmalen, doing close-control ball work around mannequins.
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The 22-year-old decided to take a break from social media to focus on his football that month and it was also announced before the training camp in Spain that he would not be travelling to Andalusia, as he was continuing his individual training programme.
A statement from the club said his absence from the winter training camp was part of a process for Sancho to 'get back to his highest level' and Ten Hag, who has delicately handled the matter, was asked for an update on the player's situation at the start of January.
The Dutchman had already confirmed that Sancho was absent from the training squad in Spain as he was not fit enough to participate and he insisted that was unable to 'force the process' of his return, despite admitting he was impatient about his lay-off.
"I would like to have Jadon back as soon as possible, but also in this, I can't force this process and so I will do everything that's in my power but some processes you can't force and this is one of them," Ten Hag said.
"So I have also to show patience, although I don't have the patience because yeah, you are right, we have a lack of opportunities in the frontline, players who are available and capable to contribute in the Premier League and the highest standard of top football.
"And Jadon is one – when he is fit – he will contribute and then we have an extra option and so we will have more chance of winning a lot of games. We have some hurdles to take but I think he's in a good direction."
There have been 19 days since that update was given on Sancho and the player has returned to full training with the first-team. There have been concerns about his fitness and mental well-being but he appears to be in peak physical condition.
Although the situation has not been ideal for all of the parties involved, there is light at the end of the tunnel and the club deserve to be lauded for how carefully they have handled it.
Sancho is an exceptional talent and it's time to show it at Old Trafford, which he's been unable to do since returning to Manchester, a city in which he had prior experience after spending just over two years with Manchester City's academy.
United signed Sancho for £72.9m in the summer of 2021 from Borussia Dortmund and that fee seemed a coup for one of Europe's most exciting prospects, but he was brought to the club to play on the right wing and that might have been an oversight.
That's because Sancho scored 20 goals from the left wing in 3,099 minutes and 24 goals from the right wing in 5,265 minutes at Dortmund. He has looked most comfortable on the left during his time at United and that led to Antony's arrival.
It's ironic that United's right-wing signing found his home on the left, but considering Marcus Rashford's form this season, it seems most likely that Sancho will compete with Antony to start down the right channel for the remainder of the campaign.
Rashford is undroppable in this vein of form and Alejandro Garnacho also deputises for him on that side, which means Sancho will almost certainly be asked to play on the right and that might help him win a regular starting place in the team.
When starting on the left, Sancho plays as an inverted winger because he is right-footed. He prefers to cut inside and shoot or to play intricate, short passes around the box, but if he plays on the right, he will naturally be a better creative asset.
Sancho is forced to take the opposition full-back on and put crosses into the box when playing on the right and that will be welcomed by supporters, who have grown frustrated with Antony's performances in recent weeks.
Antony has become predictable and he's failed to provide a single assist this season. Ten Hag has given Sancho a rare opportunity to reset and return to his best and that should translate to the player producing similar displays to his Dortmund days.
United need the creativity of Sancho and he might finally deliver on the right wing when he returns to action.
It has almost been two years in the making and fans will be hoping Sancho has been worth the wait.
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