Manchester United icon Andy Cole has issued a stern warning to Jadon Sancho about his prospects at Chelsea, suggesting he may struggle “unless football adopts a 24-a-side format.”

Sancho, at 24, made headlines when he joined Chelsea on Deadline Day, securing a loan deal with an obligation to buy for around £23 million. While he has yet to debut for his new club, he could make his first appearance in their upcoming match against Bournemouth this Saturday.

Cole, a Treble winner with Manchester United, voiced concerns over Sancho’s ability to secure a regular spot in Chelsea’s overstuffed squad. “Manchester United shelled out more than £70 million for Jadon three years ago, so seeing that investment not pay off would be a significant loss,” Cole noted in an interview with Betfred.

“Jadon is a young and exceptionally talented player, so if Chelsea can harness his potential like Borussia Dortmund did last season, it could be a tremendous deal for them,” Cole said. “There’s a wealth of talent there, and if Chelsea can unlock it, they’ll have a real gem.”

However, Cole was cautious about Sancho’s fit within the Chelsea setup. “Unless football changes to 24-a-side, he’ll face the same challenges as everyone else at Chelsea. With so many high-profile names, only 11 can start, so it’ll be intriguing to see how he adapts.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has a plethora of options for wide attacking roles, including Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, and Noni Madueke.

Sancho, who netted two goals and added two assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances during his loan at Dortmund last season, has been out of action since then, largely due to a fallout with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

Despite earning 23 caps for England, Sancho has not featured for the national team in the past three years.