While the end of the campaign is still a few months away, Manchester United are currently preparing for what could be a defining week in their season, with Erik ten Hag’s side facing the prospect of potentially dropping out of all three cup competitions in the space of just six days.

That would, of course, be a worst-case scenario for the Red Devils, although there may well be fears that the club’s relentless run of fixtures may finally catch up with them, with a Europa League showdown to come with Barcelona this evening, prior to pivotal meetings with Newcastle United and West Ham United in the League Cup and FA Cup, respectively.

With that in mind, the former Ajax boss may well require some fresh legs in order to keep the momentum going against the Catalan giants later today, with Sunday’s super-sub Jadon Sancho potentially the man who can make the difference in this mouthwatering, second-leg encounter.

Will Sancho play against Barcelona?

The £73m addition has largely endured a frustrating time of it at Old Trafford since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, having failed to replicate the standout form that he showcased in Germany – where he provided 114 goal involvements in just 137 games for the Bundesliga outfit.

That devastating record has not been matched during his time in Manchester thus far as the 22-year-old has only ten goals and four assists to his name in 57 games across all fronts, having notably missed much of the current campaign after spending time away from the first-team squad at the tail end of last year.

While the reason behind that lengthy absence has not been shared publicly, it does appear that the extended break from action may have done the trick, with the Englishman scoring on his Premier League return at home to Leeds United earlier this month.

Although the attacking “genius” – as lauded by former Dortmund coach Peter Stoger – was perhaps not at his best at Camp Nou last week, having missed a gilt-edged chance in the second half, the fleet-footed winger has more than staked his claim for a starting berth after starring off the bench against Leicester City at the weekend.

The exciting dynamo was instrumental in changing United’s fortunes following what was a “rubbish” first-half performance at the Theatre of Dreams – in the words of Ten Hag – having made sure of the points on the hour mark after rounding off a stunning, sweeping move with a composed finish inside the area.

That eye-catching 45-minute outing – in which the 23-cap gem provided three key passes and created one key chance – saw Sancho flourish away from his usual role on the flanks, having surprisingly been deployed in a playmaking role behind striker Wout Weghorst.

Although the expectation would have been to see Bruno Fernandes take on that central berth, the experiment appeared to work as far as Ten Hag is concerned, with Sancho thriving with the freedom to roam and drift in the midfield.

Following what was his ‘best performance all season’ – in the words of journalist Samuel Luckhurst – the £350k-per-week man no doubt deserves to feature from the start against the La Liga outfit this evening, with such a high profile meeting offering the chance for the ex-Manchester City man to showcase that he is edging back to his best.

On the evidence of his display against the Foxes, Sancho could have found a new home for himself in the number ten role under Ten Hag, with the Dutchman having potentially stumbled across what could prove to be his best experiment yet during his time at United.

The moves to deploy Luke Shaw at centre-back and the aforementioned Weghorst in a makeshift midfield berth have proved fruitful on occasion this season, although, unlike Sancho, neither player is likely to remain in those new positions on a regular basis, while the latter man has the chance to potentially find a new long-term role moving forward.

Whether that tactical shift is a mere short-term fix or a potential plan for the future remains to be seen, although there can seemingly be no greater acid test than coming up against a footballing superpower such as La Blaugrana.

It could prove to be not only a defining night in the Red Devils’ season, but also in Sancho’s United career…