Benjamin Sesko Set to Return for Manchester United
Benjamin Sesko is on course to be back leading Manchester United’s line before the new season kicks off, with the club quietly confident his shin injury will be fully behind him by the time the serious football starts.
The 23-year-old has sat out United’s opening pre-season friendlies against Wrexham and Rosenborg, but that absence is part of a carefully managed plan rather than a late setback. Staff at Carrington view his rehabilitation as firmly on track, with no alarm bells ringing behind the scenes.
Sesko has been nursing the problem since last season. He first picked up the shin issue and then aggravated it during United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool on May 3, a night that underlined his importance to the team but also brought an abrupt end to his campaign. United kept the exact nature of the injury deliberately vague at the time, yet the expectation now is that the final three matches of last season — which he missed — will be the only competitive games he loses to it.
The Slovenia international returned to outdoor training last week, a key step that has lifted the mood around his recovery. If his progress continues at the current pace, he has a realistic chance of featuring against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on Saturday, even if only in a limited capacity.
Looking Ahead
United’s staff, though, are looking further ahead. The plan is for Sesko to be ready to start against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8, a marquee pre-season fixture that should offer a sharper indication of his sharpness and rhythm. From Sweden, United will fly to Dublin for a six-day training camp as the final phase of their preparations.
That camp includes a high-profile meeting with Leeds United at Croke Park on August 12, United’s penultimate friendly before they open their Premier League season away to Hull City on August 22. By then, the expectation is that Sesko will be fully integrated and leading the attack.
His absence this month has opened a window for Joshua Zirkzee, who started both games against Wrexham and Rosenborg. Those minutes, though, tell a slightly different story beneath the surface. United’s preference remains to move the Dutchman on if the right offer arrives.
A permanent sale looks difficult. To avoid booking a loss, United would need around £21 million for a player they signed for £36.5m in July 2024, a figure that has cooled some interest. Italian clubs have tracked Zirkzee throughout his time at Old Trafford and a loan return to Serie A is currently viewed as the most realistic route out.
United’s broader plan in attack is clear: Sesko as the focal point, with a new forward brought in to support him. The club has been linked in some quarters with a surprise reunion with Danny Welbeck, but United have denied making any contact with the Brighton striker.
Welbeck, who scored 14 goals for Brighton last season, has long been open to the idea of a return to Old Trafford. Instead, it is Chelsea who have stepped forward, moving for the 35-year-old as he enters the final year of his contract on the south coast.
So United press on with their own search for support up front, knowing that the most important part of their attacking rebuild — Sesko’s fitness — appears to be falling into place just in time.
