Jadon Sancho Set for Three-Week Lay-Off After Dislocating Shoulder in Friendly

Jadon Sancho’s season on loan at Aston Villa has been halted by a dislocated shoulder that is expected to sideline the winger for up to three weeks, The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell reports.

The injury occurred during a behind-closed-doors friendly against Spanish side Elche last week, when Sancho landed awkwardly under a challenge from Gonzalo Villar and was forced off before full-time. Subsequent scans confirmed the joint had been dislocated, ruling him out of Villa’s immediate Premier League restart and their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Bologna in Italy on 9 April.

The setback comes just as Sancho, 26, appeared to be hitting form. He provided assists in each of his last two competitive appearances: teeing up a goal in the Europa League last-16 second leg against Lille and again for John McGinn during Villa’s 2-0 league victory over West Ham. Those contributions had raised hopes that the on-loan Manchester United attacker could influence the club’s push for European progression and a strong domestic finish.

Instead, Sancho will now miss the trip to Nottingham Forest that sits between the two legs of the Bologna tie, as well as the return leg at Villa Park. Villa currently sit well placed in the Premier League table, while Forest remain embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Sancho’s loan spell expires at the end of the current campaign, after which he will return briefly to Old Trafford before becoming a free agent on 30 June. No purchase option or obligation was inserted in the loan agreement, leaving Villa free to negotiate a permanent deal once his United contract lapses should they wish to retain his services.

Off the pitch, speculation continues to swirl over Sancho’s long-term future. Borussia Dortmund, the club where he first made his name, have been linked with a renewed approach for the England international once his deal with United officially concludes.

For now, though, Sancho’s immediate focus will be on rehabilitation and regaining fitness in time for what remains of the 2025-26 season, with Villa hoping he can return to bolster their ambitions on multiple fronts.