Borussia Dortmund blame Jadon Sancho's slow start on Man Utd as sporting director Sebastian Kehl compares Erik ten Hag-enforced absence to ACL injury

Sancho scored his maiden goal on Saturday, since joining Borussia Dortmund in January, as the German giants beat Werder Bremen 2-1. The Manchester United loanee did well to go past Bremen defender Julian Malatini with a nice piece of skill before finding the back of the net.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl spoke highly of Sancho's abilities after the English winger finally got off the mark. He even blamed the Red Devils and their manager Erik ten Hag for keeping the player out of action for almost the entire first half of the season.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Kehl said, "Doing something like that, you can of course see what a great footballer he is. You can see how he can make a difference, especially in one-on-one situations. Everyone is happy for Jadon because they saw how hard he was working and how willing he was to help the team. Goals help. He's had one or two assists before, but this goal will help him and give him a boost.

"You should not forget that he didn't play for a long time. It's like when a player has a cruciate ligament injury and is out for a long time. We need him and we will again on Wednesday and for the coming weeks."

The England international was recently criticised heavily by the German media as he failed to make a mark upon his return to the Bundesliga. It took him nearly two months and 12 appearances across all competitions to score his first goal. He has also provided two assists.

The 23-year-old will be next seen in action in the Champions League on Wednesday as Edin Terzic's side take on Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in the second leg of their round of 16 clash.