Jadon Sancho: Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag gets blunt on winger and comes out fighting over Harry Maguire

United released a statement of their own on Thursday, saying: "Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue."

And Ten Hag was blunt when quizzed on the former Borussia Dortmund star ahead of his side's match with Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday.

"I think everything is said," he stated.

"So the squad is strong, in good spirits and good mood going into the game."

Ten Hag also dodged a question on Sancho by opting to talk about his side's 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium shortly before the international break.

"We close the game, we work on the feedback, the data team feedback, we played very well very Arsenal, we trained very well, we played very well, we deserved much more in Arsenal," he said.

"It was not on our side, that was the outcome of our analysis and you can see our progress against a good Arsenal and minimum we have to get a draw there and we could have won.

"We come back and we trained very well. We are ready for it."

United are also without Antony for their showdown with Brighton, with the winger currently placed on a period of leave.

When quizzed how his team will cope without the Brazil international, Ten Hag said: "You have sometimes setbacks in seasons, players are injured or for other reasons are not available so you construct a squad and the squad is very good and the players who are available and motivated to give a good performance."

Another player Ten Hag discussed was Harry Maguire.

The England defender scored an own goal on Tuesday night during his country's 3-1 win over Scotland at Hampden Park.

Gareth Southgate condemned fans for criticising Maguire after the match, with the 53-year-old admitting he was livid.

And Ten Hag has backed Maguire, insisting the United star is more than capable of turning his form around.

"I have said many times, it is disrespectful, doesn’t deserve it, he is a great player, gives great performances," he said.

"It is crazy but how it works. Harry has to block this."

On how Maguire is dealing with the abuse that's coming his way, Ten Hag continued: "Good, you see his career, a lot to come, he has to block it by good performances."

And when asked how he can help Maguire, Ten Hag said: "It is also with the generation, about team construction, the group dynamic and always about the team, that is above everything else but within that everyone plays his role, different characters and you have to manage those characters."

It's been a difficult start to the season for United so far.

They won their opening match, albeit in convincing fashion, with Raphael Varane scoring the only goal of the game.

United then lost 2-0 to Tottenham on matchday two on a chastening day in north London.

They responded to that setback with a nervy 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest, having fallen 2-0 down.

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And United feel they were robbed against Arsenal earlier this month, with Alejandro Garnacho controversially having a goal chalked off for offside before late strikes from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus gave the Gunners all three points.