LONDON (AP) — A brief post on social media suggests Jadon Sancho still has some beef with Manchester United.
Sancho ended a troubled spell at United by joining Chelsea on loan in August and he has seen a former teammate, Marcus Rashford, also leave Old Trafford in unhappy circumstances.
Rashford recently joined Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season and after making his debut off the bench in a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup on Sunday, he wrote on Instagram: “Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance.”
Sancho was one of the many to reply to his fellow England international, simply writing “Freedom” along with praying and raised hands emojis.
Sancho is in theory still a United player, though his move to Chelsea included an obligation for the London club to buy him at the end of the season for 25 million pounds (about $33 million).
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford (left) and Tottenham Hotspur's Kevin Danso battle for the ball during the English FA Cup fourth round soccer match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Sunday Feb. 9, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford in action during the English FA Cup fourth round soccer match between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Sunday Feb. 9, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are opening the practice window for star linebacker Fred Warner with the hope that he could return if the team reaches the NFC title game.
Warner has been out since breaking and dislocating his right ankle in a loss at Tampa Bay on Oct. 12, with coach Kyle Shanahan initially describing it as a season-ending injury.
But Warner has been rehabbing since then and even was able to run on a side field last week during practice. Now he will be back officially at practice as the 49ers prepare to play Seattle in the divisional round on Saturday night and could return if San Francisco wins.
“We’re not doing much so he’ll walk through out there with us today and things like that, but hoping he can be ready for next week,” Shanahan said Tuesday.
Warner's presence on the practice field even for a walkthrough provided an emotional lift for the 49ers.
“For someone who really set the standard here, I would do anything to play with him again this year,” defensive tackle Kalia Davis said. “We want him back out there.”
Eric Kendricks is currently manning Warner's spot at middle linebacker after backup Tatum Bethune got hurt but wasn't ready to talk about what Warner's possible return would do for the team.
“We’re aren’t going to talk about next week, right? We’ve got Seattle,” Kendricks said. “We’ve got to beat Seattle. Let’s pump our brakes. We have to beat Seattle this week. .. This is what meaningful football is all about.”
The 49ers have made it this far despite losing their top two defensive players to injuries early in the season, with defensive end Nick Bosa going down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 and Warner getting hurt in Week 6.
Warner has been pushing to make a return and if he can, that would provide a needed boost. But Shanahan said the final decision will be in the hands of the team doctors.
“If he feels good and tells me he’s good, I’m probably going to think he is and trust him to get out there,” Shanahan said. “But you can't always think with your heart and emotionally. So you ask doctors where he’s at, all the things that these guys have to pass, just protocols that we have in with just sprinting and jumping and things like that. He’s got to hit all those before we feel it’s safe.”
But Shanahan added that as soon as the doctors clear Warner, "obviously it’ll be zero decision on my part.”
Warner had been a first-team All-Pro three straight seasons from 2022-24 and made the squad in 2020. His 947 career tackles are the second most for the team, behind Patrick Willis’ 950, as far as records go back to 2000.
Warner had missed only one game in his eight-year career before this injury, sitting out in 2021 with a hamstring injury. He played most of last season with a broken bone in his ankle and still earned All-Pro honors.
Warner signed a three-year extension worth $63 million in the offseason, keeping him under contract with the team through the 2029 season.
In other injury news, safety Ji'Ayir Brown (hamstring) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) all would have been unable to practice had the team held a session. Receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee), linebacker Dee Winters (ankle), guard Dominick Puni (ankle) and defensive lineman Keion White (groin, hamstring) all would have been limited.
Shanahan also said tight end George Kittle is set to have surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon on Wednesday. Kittle went on injured reserve Tuesday and tight end Brayden Willis was signed from the practice squad.
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FILE - San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner is carted off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)
FILE - San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Fred Warner (54) runs to the locker room after pregame warm-ups before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct 12, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit, File)
