Manchester United on-loan winger Jadon Sancho was visibly frustrated after being substituted in Aston Villa's 2-1 win over FC Basel in the Europa League on Thursday night
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho helped Aston Villa defeat FC Basel on Thursday
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Jadon Sancho appeared visibly upset on Thursday night after being substituted during Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over FC Basel in the Europa League. The 25-year-old joined Villa on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer amid widespread speculation about his future.
Since his move to Villa Park, the winger has only started five matches, with all seven of his Premier League appearances coming as a substitute. On Thursday night, Sancho was in the starting line-up for Unai Emery's side in Switzerland as they aimed to secure their spot in the last 16 of the Europa League.
The United loanee has now started four matches in the competition for Villa, including their previous three victories against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Young Boys and Basel. However, Sancho seemed noticeably annoyed when he was substituted.
With Villa leading 2-1 thanks to goals from Evann Guessand and Youri Tielemans, Emery decided to replace Sancho as part of a triple substitution. Amadou Onana and Emiliano Buendia were also taken off, with Boubacar Kamara, Morgan Rogers, and Ollie Watkins brought on.
As the change was made, TV cameras captured Sancho approaching the substitutes' bench, clearly disappointed to be leaving the pitch. After acknowledging Emery, Sancho hit an empty seat in the dugout before taking his place on the bench.
Despite his frustration, Sancho put in a solid performance on Thursday night and was unlucky not to provide an assist for Guessand. This follows speculation that Villa remain uncertain about Sancho and his long-term prospects at the club.
Sancho's United contract is due to run out at the season's end. It is currently unclear what the future holds for the ex-Borussia Dortmund star
Earlier this year, Villa struck a deal worth £10.5million with Gremio for Brazilian winger Alysson. A medical is scheduled before a January transfer, with the left-footed right winger bringing additional options to Emery's attacking ranks.
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho's contract with Manchester United expires at the end of the season
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Previously, reports suggested Villa were already contemplating making Sancho's switch permanent, but his limited game time in the Midlands plus Alysson's arrival has cast doubt on that possibility. "When Leon Bailey left, it was a moment for us to assess the players we had identified through our scouting," Emery explained when questioned about the decision to recruit the winger.
"We then had the opportunity to make a signing, and one of the players on our list was Jadon Sancho. He's capable of playing on both the right and left wings, and he provides something different. He's a good player - 25 years old - and I felt he performed very well last year at Chelsea.
"Yes, he had some problems at Manchester United, but during his time at Borussia Dortmund, he performed fantastic. He's also played 25 times for England. He's still young, still hungry, and has the ability to show his skills and qualities.
"Hopefully, we can bring out the best in him here. In the last few years, he's played more on the left, but at Dortmund, he was more often on the right. Here, I see him being able to play in both of those positions."
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