Dortmund discipline Sancho and drop teenager for Gladbach match

Sancho did not even make the substitutes’ bench for the game against the Bundesliga leaders, which Dortmund won 1-0.

Before kick-off, coach Lucien Favre told the German media that the 19-year-old had been dropped as “a disciplinary measure”.

“Everything else will remain internal,” Favre said. When asked how long the suspension would last, Favre said: “Today is today.”

Michael Zorc, the club’s director of football, meanwhile, appeared on German television.

“Jadon is a great kid, but he is still very young,” Zorc said. “He’s grown up very fast. He perhaps sometimes tests the boundaries.

“The decision was not easy, but there was no other choice. We have a responsibility to ensure the health of the squad.”

German football magazine Kicker reported that this was not the first time the England starlet had been late back from international duty. They said Sancho returned late “several times” in 2017-18 and was relegated to the club’s under-23 team by then coach Peter Stoeger.

Zorc said he anticipated that Sancho would be included in the squad when Dortmund play Inter Milan at the San Siro in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“The suspension is only active for today. Jadon still trained this morning,” said Zorc. “We’re expecting him to be involved again on Wednesday.”

Sancho started the season strongly with three goals and seven assists in the first six Bundesliga games. He also scored twice for England against Kosovo in September.

But Favre dropped Sancho for Dortmund’s last match before the international break, a draw with Freiburg. He was lacklustre as England then lost in the Czech Republic and was dropped for the subsequent match in Bulgaria, which England won 6-0.

“The expectations of Jadon are enormous. But that’s dangerous.” Favre said on Thursday. “Jadon is a great player, no argument, But he still has a lot to learn.”