Benjamin Sesko's Injury Woes Impact Manchester United Season

Benjamin Sesko’s stuttering Manchester United start has taken another unwelcome twist, with the striker undergoing tests on a shin injury and withdrawing from Slovenia duty.

The 23-year-old will stay in Manchester rather than join up with his national team for their matches against Scotland, North Macedonia and Switzerland, as he continues his rehabilitation at Carrington.

A £74m signing stuck on the fringes

United spent £74million to bring Sesko to Old Trafford in August 2025, but his first months in England have been stop-start at best. Michael Carrick has so far preferred Matheus Cunha through the middle, leaving Sesko to scrap for minutes from the bench.

He has two goals in six appearances across all competitions, flashes of what he can offer but nowhere near the sustained run of form both player and club envisaged. He did not feature in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham, with the shin problem already keeping him out.

According to GiveMeSport, Sesko will undergo examinations today to determine the extent of the injury. There is, as yet, no clear timeframe for his return.

Alarming noises from Slovenia

The tone from Slovenia is more worrying. Sports daily Ekipa, cited by Sport Witness, reports that the issue “doesn’t look good because of history and past patterns” with Sesko’s shin.

Their concern is not about a clean break or obvious fracture. It is the opposite. Ekipa highlight that the types of conditions which cause persistent bone pain without a classic fracture are often chronic. The fear is of a problem that lingers, not one that heals quickly and disappears.

Sesko has dealt with shin issues before, and sections of the Slovenian press are openly concerned this latest flare-up could trouble him for months. An MRI scan in London is expected to give a clearer picture and help set a realistic return date.

For Slovenia, it is a major loss. Sesko has already scored 16 goals in 45 appearances for his country, and remains the spearhead of their attack when fit.

Lost chance to reset

This international window was shaping up as a timely reset for Sesko. A run of starts, a few goals, and he could have returned to Old Trafford sharper, more confident and harder for Carrick to ignore.

Instead, the frustration deepens. The debate around his role at United had already started to heat up before the injury.

After United’s 2-2 draw with Everton, Paul Scholes argued that Sesko should be the “focal point” of Carrick’s front line, and admitted he finds it “very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre-forward.” In Scholes’ eyes, Sesko is the natural reference point the side is missing.

Michael Owen sees it differently. He has branded Sesko a “great impact player” at this stage of his development, but not yet the “real deal” capable of hauling United back into Premier League title contention on his own.

Those opinions now hang over a player who cannot answer on the pitch.

United’s injury concerns pile up

Sesko is not the only United player staying put during the break. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have both withdrawn from England duty after being assessed by club staff following their late substitutions in the draw at Fulham.

For Carrick, that means an international window dominated not by tactical planning or selection headaches, but by scan results and medical reports.

For Sesko, it means more waiting. A £74m striker, a restless fanbase, a manager under scrutiny, and a shin that refuses to let the story truly begin.