Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw have backed Manchester United team-mate Jadon Sancho to rediscover his form after a difficult start to the season.
Sancho arrived at United in the summer to much fanfare following a £73million transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
But his start to life at Old Trafford has not gone to plan so far, with no goals or assists in nine appearances for his new club so far this season.
The 21-year-old has struggled to make an impact for United, who have won just two of their last six matches across all competitions.
Sancho was United’s number one transfer target after scoring 49 goals and providing 60 assists over three seasons at Dortmund and he retains the faith of his team-mates and England manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate has included Sancho in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary, despite admitting that the winger’s form “probably” didn’t deserve a call-up.
Shaw has joined Sancho in England training ahead of Saturday’s match against Andorra, and he is convinced his team-mate will find his feet soon.
“Sometimes, for people, it takes time,” Shaw told talkSPORT . “But I wouldn’t say he’s struggling at the moment.
“He’s working extremely hard behind closed doors and training really well and looking really sharp. He just hasn’t had that bit of luck that sometimes you need for your first goal or first assist.
“But I’ve got no doubt in my mind, it’s coming. The talent he has is unbelievable, he can go right to the very top.
“It’s just about him staying focussed, keep doing what he’s doing in training and working hard. His time will come.”
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Lingard knows from personal experience how hard it can be to perform consistently for a club as demanding as United - and he is in agreement with Shaw.
"I think it's going to take some time to adapt," Lingard said of Sancho.
"Jadon's been around long enough, he knows football inside out and the Premier League can be tough. He's adapting. We've seen glimpses.
“He's only going to get better. We have full confidence and hope in Jadon to succeed."
Sancho only registered his first shot on target in the Premier League in his sixth appearance after coming off the bench against Everton on Saturday.
His struggles have perhaps gone under the radar slightly due to Cristiano Ronaldo ’s arrival at Old Trafford from Juventus upstaging his transfer.
But the fact Sancho has struggled to hold down a place in the side, which has been missing Marcus Rashford following shoulder surgery, is notable.
Southgate has stood by the winger following his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy and he continued his stance last week when discussing his squad selection.
"Does he deserve to be in on these performances over the last few weeks? Well probably not," Southgate said.
"But I think we feel we have invested in Jadon over a period of time, we believe he can get to a high level.”
