Sesko's Injury Deepens Manchester United’s Early-Season Woes

Benjamin Sesko was nowhere to be seen at Craven Cottage on Sunday, and for Manchester United that absence felt louder than any away-end chant.

The Slovenian striker did not make the squad for the 2-2 draw with Fulham, ruled out after feeling discomfort in the wake of his midweek start in the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton. What sounded like a precaution now looks far more troubling for United: it is the same shin problem that already tore a hole in his year.

That original injury cost the 23-year-old more than two months of football. He missed the final three games of last season and the entirety of United’s pre-season, only re-emerging as a substitute at Hull on the opening weekend. Six appearances across all competitions later, he is back in the treatment room.

Carrick: “We’re not sure with Ben yet”

Michael Carrick cut a measured but clearly frustrated figure when asked about Sesko after the Fulham game. The manager could not dress it up.

“We’re not sure with Ben yet,” he said. “He felt a bit of pain after the game [against Brighton] so we’re assessing him. At the moment, he definitely wasn’t ready for [Fulham], so I haven’t really got any more news to give you at this point. We’ll have to see what that brings.”

No timeline. No guarantees. Just another key attacker drifting into the grey area of “wait and see” at a time when United’s season is already threatening to fray at the edges.

United’s stuttering start

The draw at Craven Cottage leaves United with just one win from their opening five Premier League matches. For a side that spent the summer talking about evolution under Carrick, the table tells a colder story.

Sesko was supposed to be part of the solution: a direct, mobile focal point to sharpen United’s attack. Instead, his stop-start campaign has mirrored the team’s rhythm. He has been there in flashes, but never long enough to anchor a run of form.

On Sunday, his absence left United short of options again, and with the attack already misfiring, the timing could hardly be worse.

Shaw returns, Baleba steps into view

Not everything at Craven Cottage was grim. Luke Shaw’s name on the teamsheet offered a rare shaft of light. The left-back returned to the starting XI, restoring balance and experience to a defence that has creaked too often in his absence.

There was also a first glimpse, at least on the teamsheet, of £70 million summer signing Carlos Baleba. The midfielder, sidelined by an ankle issue since his arrival, was named on the bench for the first time.

Speaking before kick-off, Carrick underlined their importance without overplaying it. “Luke coming back is good for the squad. And having Carlos in the group for the first time... is important today,” he said. One step at a time, but United need both to become regulars quickly if this campaign is to straighten out.

Injuries pile up

The good news stopped there. Matthijs de Ligt travelled with the squad to London but was not fit enough to be considered for selection. Amad Diallo is still waiting for his first appearance of the season, another attacking option stuck on the sidelines.

Layer Sesko’s fresh concern on top, and the picture is stark: too many of Carrick’s key pieces are either missing or managing their way through issues. The margin for error, already slim, is shrinking by the week.

Crucial international window

The calendar now hands United a three-week international break, and for the club’s medical department it will feel less like a pause and more like a race.

Sesko’s immediate future sits at the heart of it. It remains unclear whether he will withdraw from Slovenia duty as United assess the recurrence of his shin problem. The stakes are obvious: rush him and risk another prolonged absence, or hold him back and accept a short-term hit to a squad already short on cutting edge.

Questions also hang over Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, both doubts for England because of ongoing fitness concerns. For Carrick, every training session in this window becomes an exercise in triage and hope.

Storm ahead: Tottenham and Atletico

There is no gentle reintroduction when domestic football resumes. United host Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October, a fixture that rarely arrives quietly and will test both their nerve and their depth.

Then comes a trip to Spain and a high-stakes Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, a side that delights in exposing any hint of vulnerability.

By then, United will know far more about Sesko’s condition, Rashford’s readiness, and whether this injury-hit squad can hold its shape. The question is simple and brutal: will Carrick have a full hand to play when the season’s first real defining stretch arrives, or will United be forced to navigate it with their frontline still patched together?