Jadon Sancho was hauled off just 45 minutes after coming on as a substitute during Aston Villa's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, but Paul Scholes has defended the winger
Aston Villa winger Jadon Sancho
Aston Villa winger Jadon Sancho
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Paul Scholes has reiterated his faith in Jadon Sancho's potential to shine as a top-flight Premier League player, despite the winger experiencing the indignity of being subbed on and off in Aston Villa's match against Manchester City on Sunday.
The Manchester United attacker, who spent the last season on loan at Chelsea, joined Villa on a temporary deal during the summer transfer window. His stint at Villa Park has been challenging so far, with the player yet to score or provide an assist in five appearances.
After showing promise in the Europa League match against Go Ahead Eagles last Thursday, there were high hopes that Sancho could gain momentum when Villa faced City at the weekend.
Sancho replacing the injured Emiliano Buendia during the first half but managed only 45 minutes on the pitch before being substituted by manager Unai Emery.
The England international has been widely - and incorrectly - criticised for being substituted as a substitute with some claiming it as 'embarrassing', although former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood and Scholes have defended him.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Sherwood expressed: "I like the boy. I think he's got – I don't know him as a person – but I think he's got a lot of ability."
During Sherwood's appraisal of Sancho, Scholes chimed in with: "Loads of ability."
Sherwood continued: "He needs to do it on a regular basis. You know, on a consistent basis, and if he does that, I mean, he's good enough to play, [at an] enormous amount of clubs."
In his post-match debrief, Villa gaffer Unai Emery addressed the 'embarrassing' substitution of Sancho and the decision to bring Guessand on in his stead.
"Yes, sure he's (Sancho) not happy but I did it before with Morgan Rogers, with Emiliano Buendia, with Leon Bailey, and he played 60 minutes on Thursday," Emery declared.
"Today when he (Buendia) was injured, my plan was maybe in case he (Sancho) was going to play 30 minutes, but I decided to play more and he played 45 minutes.
"But my plan was when he was swapped with Emiliano Buendia, the idea was maybe not playing all the minutes until the last moment. And I told him as well, he can feel it, it's embarrassing.
"Before Morgan, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey, they felt the same when I subbed them, but it was not a punishment. And now it's not a punishment.
"He played 45 minutes, I am so happy because his impact was good, his electricity, his skill, but then to play more than now he's not ready fit to play 90 minutes, 45 minutes is not easy enough for him and I am happy and of course, progressively he's coming better and better."
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