Manchester United exiled and Floped player Jadon Sancho scored his first goal of the season in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday

Sebastian Kehl, Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director, has compared Jadon Sancho’s extended absence from Manchester United this season to that of a player who has had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Sancho scored his first goal since rejoining Dortmund in the January transfer window on Saturday, helping the club defeat Werder Bremen 2-1 away. The winger scored the winning goal with a terrific solo effort, coming inside off the left flank and finishing coolly.

The 23-year-old has struggled to meet expectations since returning to Germany, and it will take some time for him to catch up. Last month, head coach Edin Terzic cautioned Sancho that he was capable of more.

Prior to his second Dortmund debut on January 13, Sancho had not played since August 26. He was ruled out by United manager Erik ten Hag in early September after accusing the Dutchman of lying about his absence against Arsenal on September 3.

Dortmund manager Kehl has now compared Sancho’s extended absence to that of a player who had an ACL injury, emphasising that the England international would always need time to recover.

“Doing something like that, you can of course see what a great footballer he is,” Kehl told Goal.com. “You can see how he can make a difference, particularly in one-on-one interactions.

“Everyone is thrilled for Jadon because they saw how hard he worked and how eager he was to serve the squad. Goals help. He’s gotten one or two assists in the past, but this goal will help him and increase his confidence.

“Don’t forget that he hasn’t played in a long time. It’s similar to when a player has a cruciate ligament damage and is sidelined for a long time. We’ll need him again on Wednesday and in the following weeks.”