Benjamin Sesko's Injury Worries for Slovenia and Manchester United
Benjamin Sesko will miss Slovenia’s upcoming fixtures as Manchester United’s £74million striker undergoes tests on a worrying shin problem that has already disrupted his stuttering start to the season.
The 23-year-old sat out United’s 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday with the issue and, according to reports, will stay at Carrington for rehabilitation instead of joining up with the national team. Slovenia face Scotland twice, as well as North Macedonia and Switzerland, but will have to do so without their main centre-forward.
A slow burn turns sour
Sesko’s United career has yet to ignite. Signed in August 2025 for a hefty fee and with heavy expectations, he has been used sparingly by head coach Michael Carrick, who currently prefers Matheus Cunha through the middle.
Six games. Two goals. Mostly off the bench.
Sesko has largely been cast as an impact substitute rather than the focal point many expected when he arrived at Old Trafford. The Fulham draw, missed through this latest injury, only deepened the sense of a campaign stuck in first gear.
According to GiveMeSport, the striker will undergo examinations on Monday to determine the extent of the damage, with the timeframe for his return still unknown.
Fears growing in Slovenia
The concern is not confined to Manchester. In Slovenia, the tone around Sesko’s injury is increasingly anxious.
Sports daily Ekipa, cited by Sport Witness, reports that the problem “doesn’t look good because of history and past patterns.” The paper highlights fears that the underlying condition could be chronic, with pain lingering even without a clear fracture or obvious structural damage.
That is what worries them most: this is not entirely new. Sesko has battled shin issues before, and there is a growing unease that the problem could dog him for months rather than weeks.
An MRI scan in London is expected to offer more clarity, both on the seriousness of the injury and any realistic return date. Until then, Slovenia must plan without a forward who has scored 16 goals in 45 appearances for his country and remains central to their attacking identity.
Missed chance to reset
This international break was supposed to be an escape route. A different shirt, a different stage, a chance to find rhythm and confidence away from the scrutiny of Old Trafford.
Instead, the frustrations pile up.
Back in England, debate around Carrick’s use of Sesko has intensified. After United’s 2-2 draw with Everton, Paul Scholes argued that the striker could be the “focal point” of the attack and admitted it was “very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre-forward.”
Michael Owen sees it differently. For him, Sesko is currently a “great impact player” rather than the finished article, not yet the “real deal” capable of dragging United back into the Premier League title conversation.
Those arguments will now be put on hold. Until the scans come back, the discussion shifts from tactics to anatomy.
United’s injury cloud thickens
Sesko is not alone in staying behind during the break. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have also withdrawn from England duty after being assessed by United’s medical staff following late substitutions in the Fulham draw.
Carrington, instead of emptying out for two weeks, will stay busy.
For Sesko, the picture is stark. A big fee, limited minutes, a manager’s trust still to be fully earned, and now a shin problem that refuses to go away. The tests in London will not just shape his next month; they could dictate how quickly – or whether – he can grow into the role many expected when he walked through the doors at Old Trafford.
