Jadon Sancho has not been seen at Old Trafford since August 26th and he might not make an appearance again.

He spent time away from the first-team during last year’s festive period to rebuild fitness and form in the Netherlands but will be cutting the turkey at home this Christmas having been left out in the cold. There may be no secret Santa for him this time but it is anyone’s guess where he ends up in January.

United would ideally like to include Sancho in the new year sales but he will likely initially be loaned out. He is a gift of a footballer who will be on several clubs’ wish list, but United will wish they didn’t have to offload him at all.

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The £73m 2021 signing has not lived up to expectations since his arrival but he still has a sack-load of potential at 23. His extraordinary outburst at Erik ten Hag on social media showed his youthful naivety.

However, at United you are expected to grow up quickly, and rightly so given the club’s lofty ambitions and big salary handouts. While some fans struggle to pay the bills and afford presents for their children amid this year’s cost of living crisis, Sancho is picking up north of £300,000-a-week while not doing what he was employed to do.

United teammates have told Sancho he is in the wrong for rebutting Erik ten Hag publicly but an apology has not been forthcoming, and so therefore an exit might be.

His big wage packet will be an issue for United when trying to shift Sancho on, with few clubs prepared to match such a high salary.

The player's blinkered perspective is not only costing the club but also himself. He may feel aggrieved at the way he was called out but he is not the only one to be handed the same test. Ten Hag has not started Raphael Varane in the Premier League since September.

The Frenchman returned from injury to be benched against Sheffield United in what many presumed to be an eased return having then started the midweek win over Copenhagen in the Champions League.

However, when he was not included in the line-up against Manchester City, Ten Hag told live TV that it was down to “tactical” reasons. He’s not started in the league since. That public challenge is no different to the one Sancho was handed.

Of course there are alternate circumstances in the sense that Sancho was left out of the squad over training levels while Varane has been included and started cup and European matches. You can bet the latter also disagreed with Ten Hag’s omission decision.

But Sancho would have had the same opportunity to respond but for his instant public riposte. The winger was given a test and has failed miserably.

Varane is 30 and has less time on his side but has a World Cup and four Champions Leagues in the bank. Furthermore, this is a new situation for him. He was always first choice at Real Madrid and for France too.

Varane has a reputation that would have given him more right to complain - if there ever is such a thing. His next task is to rediscover his form and prove this phase is just a blip, not a sign of things to come given his age. He can show Sancho how it’s supposed to be done.