Benjamin Sesko Faces Injury Setback at Manchester United
Benjamin Sesko’s stuttering Manchester United start has taken another unwelcome twist, with the striker set to miss Slovenia’s upcoming fixtures as he undergoes tests on a troubling shin injury.
The 23-year-old sat out United’s 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday with the problem and will now stay at Carrington rather than join up with his national team. Slovenia face Scotland twice, as well as North Macedonia and Switzerland, but will have to do without their leading centre-forward.
Tests, doubts and a worrying history
According to GiveMeSport, Sesko is due to undergo examinations today to determine the extent of the injury, with no clear timeframe yet for his return. The lack of clarity is fuelling concern in Slovenia.
Sports daily Ekipa, cited by Sport Witness, report that the issue “doesn’t look good because of history and past patterns”. Their worry runs deeper than a simple knock. They highlight that conditions which cause prolonged bone pain without a clear fracture are often chronic in nature.
That is what alarms those around the Slovenian camp. Sesko has battled shin problems before, and some in the Slovenian press fear this latest flare-up could haunt him for months rather than weeks. An MRI scan in London is expected to give a firmer diagnosis and a more realistic return date.
For Slovenia, losing a player who has already scored 16 goals in 45 international appearances is a significant blow. For Sesko, it is another interruption at the worst possible time.
Big fee, small minutes
His first months at Old Trafford have not gone to plan. United paid £74 million to bring him in during August 2025, but Michael Carrick has so far placed his trust in Matheus Cunha as the starting centre-forward.
Sesko has been used largely as an impact substitute, with only six appearances in all competitions and two goals to show for it. In a side searching for rhythm and identity, the new No.9 has been left watching too often from the bench.
International football might have offered a release. A run of games as Slovenia’s main man, a few goals, and he could have returned to Manchester with a sharper edge and a louder claim for a starting place. That door has shut, at least for this window.
Debate over Carrick’s call
The decision not to lean more heavily on Sesko before this injury has already sparked debate.
After United’s 2-2 draw with Everton, Paul Scholes argued that Sesko should be at the heart of Carrick’s plans, describing him as a potential “focal point” and insisting “it is very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre-forward.”
Michael Owen sees it differently. He believes Sesko is, for now, a “great impact player” rather than the finished article, not yet the “real deal” capable of dragging United back into the Premier League title picture.
Those contrasting views now collide with an uncomfortable reality: Carrick may not have the option to test either theory for some time.
United’s growing injury list
Sesko is not alone in staying put during the international break. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have also withdrawn from England duty after being assessed by club staff, having both come off late in the draw at Fulham.
For United, a supposed pause in the calendar has turned into a spell of medical updates and nervous waiting. For Sesko, the frustration that has marked the start of his Old Trafford career threatens to harden into something more serious.
If this shin problem proves as stubborn as some in Slovenia fear, the question will not just be when he returns, but what kind of player United will get back — a £74m focal point, or a talent stuck on the edge of a project that cannot quite find room for him.
