If there was any uncertainty in Gareth Southgate's mind prior to Sunday, then the matter should have been settled once and for all after the match. On an afternoon when he was forced to watch the entire game from the bench, Jadon Sancho was getting further and further away from a spot in England's World Cup squad than his teammate Marcus Rashford was getting closer to making the team.

During the previous campaign, the malaise that plagued Manchester United affected the club's wide forwards. Since missing his penalty kick in the championship game of Euro 2020 last July, Rashford has not competed for England. Sancho was able to make one more appearance in October of 2017, but he was soon removed from the team.

Before Rashford got a head of steam this season, neither one of them had really pushed their argument for being brought back into the fold. The 25-year-old has been given new life by Erik ten Hag, who has also been a supporter of Southgate's throughout the years. It seems likely that he will secure a spot in Qatar at this point.

Sancho, on the other hand, will be in Carrington and Cadiz while England attempts to find their way through that tournament. Because his career with United has been so inconsistent up to this point, it is possible that this will turn out to be for the best. Although it is much too soon to call him a failure after investing £73 million in him, it is safe to say that he has not been a success either.

It was always clear that his chances of playing for England were not as good as Rashford's, and there is a general consensus that the 22-year-old and Southgate have never been good natural companions. However, even at this point in his career, Sancho has little cause for complaint.

It appeared as though he was beginning to find his footing under Ten Hag when he scored three classy goals by the middle of September this season; however, his performances have regressed once again since then. Ten Hag's patience is running out, as evidenced by the fact that Anthony Elanga was passed over for the starting position on Sunday.

Rashford has improved as a result of Ten Hag's attention to detail at Carrington and the inclusion of some structured practice sessions with a defined objective. The forward admitted on Sunday that the manager had provided him with some relatively straightforward direction, but that it had a positive effect on his overall performance.

This season, Sancho has not benefited to the same extent from the same effect. Even in the games in which he has scored, there have been extended stretches in which he has been completely absent from the action. The quality of United's performance in their earlier this month victory over Tottenham by a score of 2-0 only served to shine an even brighter spotlight on Sancho, who was unable to match the level of intensity and quality that his teammates produced.

A few days later, he competed at Stamford Bridge, but he was eliminated after only 52 minutes and hasn't been seen since. Because it is not believed that Antony's injury is serious, Sancho has a lot of work to do in order to get back into the starting lineup before the break in the season.

However, all he has to do is take a look at Rashford to realize that there is still a chance for redemption. The United academy graduate appeared to be out of form and lacking in confidence during the summer, but under Ten Hag's tutelage, he has found his groove again. Sancho is able to do the same thing.

Due to the fact that Sancho is one of the few United players who won't be participating in the World Cup, he will have the opportunity to participate in some intensive training at Carrington before taking a break during the tournament. After that, Manchester United will return in the first week of December and will have a training camp in Cadiz for the following week.

During their time in the Andalusian port city, Sancho will participate in two friendly matches; however, the time spent in training and the opportunity to collaborate closely with Ten Hag and Mitchell van der Gaag may prove to be the most beneficial for the young player. He appeared to be in good spirits during the pre-season tour, which was held under comparable conditions, and he will be hoping that the sunshine in Spain can help to revitalize his season.

Players who were not part of the team that competed in Qatar could end up being crucial to the campaign once it gets back underway after the World Cup is over. It is now Sancho's time to shine, but in the months of November and December, he will need to adopt Ten Hag's strategies in order to do so successfully.