The last time Alexis Sanchez played for Manchester United was on August 21. It was a behind-closed-doors friendly at Carrington against a Sheffield United team containing veteran duo Phil Jagielka, 37, and Richard Stearman, 32, in defence. As has so often been the case during a tortuous 19-month spell in Manchester, Sanchez failed to score.



The hosts won the game 3-1 but the goals came from Andreas Pereira, Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes, three academy products with major first-team ambitions this season. They are symbolic of the way Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to proceed at Manchester United. Sanchez is not.



The fixture was organised to provide minutes for players short on match sharpness, which included Sanchez after he returned from the Copa America with a hamstring injury. Juan Mata, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Nemanja Matic were among the others who featured. That profile of team-mate raised a fleeting thought Sanchez might yet be considered for the first team...